


Lunar

by JWade



Series: Lunar [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: M/M, Tear Rating: 8/10
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-03
Updated: 2017-11-07
Packaged: 2019-01-29 00:14:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 29
Words: 48,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12618768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JWade/pseuds/JWade
Summary: The Winchesters don't realize how close it is to the full moon when they stumble across the case at the college, nor do they realize what that means to the god they meet. Especially once Sam catches his eye.First chapter is non-con due to drugged incense, chapters 2 and 3 are dub-con. The plot doesn't start moving until Chapter 4 so you can skip the first three chapters and not lose anything of the story. Also there is blood-play throughout the story.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tricksters_girl1313](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tricksters_girl1313/gifts).



Loki smirked internally as the younger hunter tried to flirt the information out of him, and he greatly enjoyed the dance they had going here. He let out little pieces of information about the professor even as he considered his next steps. The hunter would make a perfect tribute for this month’s moon. It took them a few days to figure him out, and he had to drop all the hints right in their laps to get them here tonight, but it had worked. He created a clone of himself and Sam, leaving the brother and the other hunter to play out the fight he had choreographed while he took the younger hunter to his temple. 

He managed to keep him disoriented until he got a good whif of the incense that was burning. He had to be careful here. He got more power from consensual sex, so he wanted the hunter to agree…to want him…but he knew that Sam wouldn’t if he realized who he really was. There was nothing that said that he couldn’t lower his inhibitions a little bit though. It was much like getting him tipsy with a bit of a hallucinogenic and aphrodisiac thrown in. This incense worked wonders on the slightly recalcitrant. He considered the hunter only slightly recalcitrant since he knew that he was attracted from their flirting and the way he kept looking at him. The incense was to get over the whole, him being a ‘monster’ reservations. 

He knew it was working when he looked over to see Sam’s eyes half-lidded as he stared at him, and Loki smirked, beginning a rather sensual dance around the hunter designed to drive him crazy. He wore his ceremonial tunic and breeches along with some flowing scarves that teased over the hunter’s body. As he started the dance, he said in a hypnotic voice, “Take off your clothes, Sam.” The hunter immediately began to comply without a word. The scarves trailing over his skin as it was revealed just drove Sam higher into his lust, as did the fact that Loki’s tunic was open now, revealing his toned chest and stomach as his dance started giving more and more contact between the two. 

It was a few minutes after Sam was fully naked when Loki saw that he was ready, and he told him, “Go lay down on the altar.” Again, Sam complied without a word, laying down on his back as Loki leaned over him continuing to dance and the incense continued to drive all his fears and doubts away. His full attention was on the gorgeous being over top of him. “Spread your legs, Sam,” he said in that same hypnotic voice as he untied his breeches, freeing his hard length as the hunter spread wide for him, giving him the perfect access to his tight hole. Loki could feel the full moon high in the sky now, and knew the timing was perfect, so he slicked himself up and slid slowly into the hunter, soothing the burn as he went just enough that the pain wouldn’t be at risk of bleeding through the effects of the incense. 

Once he was fully seated, he could feel the power beginning to flow through him and knew that the more Sam enjoyed himself, the more power he would get so he reached down to start slowly stroking Sam’s cock that was already rock hard. He was going to get as much as he possibly could from the hunter tonight before the moon fell. He sat up on his knees, lifting Sam’s hips with his free hand as he began slowly thrusting in and out of the hunter. “Am I your god, Sam?” he whispered hypnotically. 

“Yes…oh god yes,” the hunter gasped. 

“Say my name, Sam. Loki. Say it,” Loki whispered as he closed his eyes in anticipation. 

“Loki,” Sam whispered reverently. “My god, Loki.”

“Mmm that’s it, Sam,” Loki breathed out. “Worship me.” 

“Mmm yes. I worship you, Loki. Loki. My god.”

“Oh, yes,” Loki whispered breathlessly as he could feel the power washing over him, energizing him as he picked up his pace, both with his hips and with his hand over Sam’s cock. He could tell that Sam was getting close. Just because he wouldn’t let himself cum yet, didn’t mean that Sam couldn’t. He wanted Sam to cum. As much as he could. “Cum for your god, Sam,” he said softly and then let out his own moan as he felt the clenching around him as the warm liquid spilled over his hand and the power he was getting spiked. He lifted his wet hand to his lips and licked it clean, slowing down in his thrusts but not even considering stopping. Sam would catch back up.

Once his hand was clean, he used it to swipe up some more of the mess on Sam’s stomach, before licking that off too and then leaning down to lick up what had spilled high enough on his chest for him to reach that way. He took his time, savoring the taste, and by the time he finished, Sam was hard and leaking again. Loki moved up and ran his tongue up Sam’s neck to his ear as he asked, “Will you bleed for your god, Sam?” 

“Yes. Yes, anything,” Sam replied lost in a haze of lust and need. 

Loki knew he would have to be careful not to take too much. He would need to pace himself. As much power as he could get from a life willingly given, he still didn’t like going there unless he had to, so as tempting as it was, he avoided taking directly from the hunter’s neck and trailed a sharp fingernail over the hunter’s shoulder before leaning down and licking over the seeping wound, giving a moan as still more power began to thrum through him. He plastered his lips over the cut and sucked a good mouthful out, which also worked to get the blood flowing more freely as he started slamming into the hunter harder and faster as he got up on his knees again, realizing that Sam was close. He trailed his fingers through the pooling blood and smeared some on his body, letting it seep into his pores as he stroked the hunter with his free hand, sucking a little more blood off his fingers blissfully, and once again he let out a gasping moan as Sam spilled over his hand again. 

Loki alternated between licking up his cum and his blood, even mixing them together more than once as Sam recovered from his orgasm. Loki was using a small amount of the power he was getting from this to make sure that Sam stayed energized. He noticed that the cut he had made on Sam’s shoulder was starting to bleed less so he moved over to the other shoulder and made another cut, sucking hard on it to get the blood flowing while making another on Sam’s chest beneath the first so that he could play with some while drinking. Before he could though, he found Sam’s hand in the way of the second cut before trailing over his face and neck smearing blood in its wake and Loki let out a growling moan at that. Seemed that Sam was getting with the program and anticipating his needs and that was getting him even more hot than anything else. It meant that some part of Sam’s mind was thinking around the drugs and enjoying this just as much as Loki was. 

When Loki felt Sam getting close again, he lifted back up on his knees, stroking Sam as he pounded furiously into him, and Sam lifted his blood covered hand to Loki’s lips and the god didn’t hesitate to suck Sam’s fingers into his mouth even as Sam’s other hand was roaming over his body, spreading blood in its wake as well and the power thrumming through the god was almost too much to handle. Almost. This was the part that Loki lived for. Sucking on his fingers was apparently driving Sam even higher and it was no time at all before he was spilling over again, and Loki was having more and more trouble holding himself back from doing the same, so he decided to just let go. He usually held himself back from coming until the end, but he didn’t usually enjoy his tributes this much. As Sam was coming over his hand Loki let out a stuttered moan as he filled Sam’s ass with his own cum. The nice thing about being a god though was that he didn’t have to worry about losing his erection if he didn’t want to so there was no pause in their activities. 

By morning, the incense was burning down, and Loki knew he was running out of time. He could already feel the power from the full moon starting to wane and he quickly got them both off one more time. He had cum four times by now and he could even see the hunter’s stomach starting to swell from the amount of cum trapped inside him. After his fifth time and Sam’s twelfth, he finally pulled out, and snapped his fingers, transporting Sam to the motel room the clone was currently sharing with his brother and putting him to sleep in the process. He knew that Sam would be inclined to think that it was just a dream, but he left the cuts on his shoulders and chest, as well as a good amount of the soreness in his ass as a reminder. Whether Sam would come back for more remained to be seen, but he could hope. Even if it was a long shot.


	2. Chapter 2

Less than an hour after Loki had placed Sam in his bed, the hunter was stirring awake, trying to hold onto the amazingly hot dream he’d had. It wasn’t until he tried to sit up and winced at the pain in his ass that his eyes widened at the thought that it might not have been a dream. It was amazing how fast a person could go from aroused to sickened by the very same thought. It was one thing when it was just a hot dream, but to think that it had actually really happened…that he had slept with a monster…oh god…worshipped a monster even. He quickly made for the bathroom to throw up before jumping in the shower. Seeing the barely healed cuts over his shoulders and chest just brought home the idea that it wasn’t a dream. 

The sickened feeling didn’t stop him from getting hard at the thought of it much to his disgust, and he steadfastly ignored his erection until it went away, scrubbing his body until it was nearly raw, especially his asshole, even if that did make his erection worse. He wondered what the trickster...no, the trickster god apparently…had done to Dean to make him not notice that Sam was missing all night. With that thought, Sam quickly dressed and rushed back out to the room to make sure Dean was alright. He couldn’t see anything off about him, and definitely didn’t want to explain what happened if he woke him up to ask, so he just let it go for now and pulled out his computer, looking for another case…any other case…while he waited for Dean to wake up. 

During his research, he realized that last night was a full moon as he found a possible werewolf attack. They would have to be quick though, because there was also a haunting they needed to check out next week that only happened once a year. Besides the fact that there were only a few more nights for the wolf to turn until next month. The fact that they had a whole week, the three days before and three days after the full moon, made for more casualties, but it also made them easier to hunt. When he realized that the case was all the way in San Francisco, he knew they couldn’t waste any time. He started getting their stuff together before throwing a pillow at his brother and telling him that he’d found a case and they needed to hit the road. Dean grumbled but followed his brother to the car, tossing him the keys as he slid into the passenger seat and went back to sleep. Sam rolled his eyes. Apparently, Dean had quite a bit to drink last night. 

Sam sighed in frustration. It seemed that he wouldn’t be able to get any information from him yet after all. It was almost lunch time before Dean woke up and they stopped for hangover food. A few innocent sounding questions later and Sam realized that as far as Dean knew he hadn’t been missing at all and Sam figured that Loki must have created some kind of illusion to take his place. He considered himself lucky that Dean hadn’t been hurt in the god’s games, and decided to leave it at that. 

The next day they arrived in San Francisco, having alternated driving since it was clear across the country from Ohio. It only took them another day to track down the werewolf and they killed him just as he was about to sink his teeth into some girl’s neck. They drove the girl, Madison, home and she decided she wanted to thank Sam properly. Sam didn’t usually do things like that, but wanted to get the bad taste of Loki out of his system, so he took her up on her offer. He was disgusted with himself that the entire time he was with her he couldn’t stop thinking about Loki though and he took another extra long shower that night, once again nearly scrubbing himself raw and ignoring his aching erection. 

Over the course of the next few weeks, Sam never did manage to get that night out of his head. Despite how it had come about, and who it was with, it was the hottest thing he’d ever experienced in his life and more than once he hadn’t been able to stop himself from stroking himself at the very idea. Most of the time he’d been able to keep himself from crying out Loki’s name as he came, but it had slipped out a couple times. He just hoped that the god wouldn’t know. 

His hopes were unfounded. Loki knew every time Sam got off thinking about him and the night they had spent together, and it was this knowledge that had him going to the hunter about an hour before the rise of the full moon. Sam’s eyes widened, and he backed up against the wall looking around wildly as Loki advanced on him and ran a finger down his chest once he was trapped. “I thought I would give you the chance to volunteer as tonight’s tribute,” he purred seductively. 

“W-why would I do that?” Sam asked in what he hoped was a disgusted voice. 

“Because whether you want to admit it or not, you enjoyed it just as much as I did,” Loki said with a smirk, ignoring the hunter’s protests. “If it helps you sell it to yourself, you can consider the fact that I WILL be having a tribute tonight either way, and if it’s not you then it will be some other innocent person that I snatch up off the street.”

Sam closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he considered that. If he did this then he would be saving an innocent from the same treatment. Yes. He had to do this. Still… “Are you going to drug me again?” Sam asked. 

Loki laughed. The drugs weren’t nearly as strong as the hunter was making them out to be, but he could play along. “That’s up to you. If it helps you get more into it, then absolutely.”

“O-okay. I’ll do it,” Sam said nervously biting his lip. Loki’s smirk widened as he snapped his fingers and they appeared back in the temple again and Sam didn’t relax at all until the incense had permeated his system and Loki began the ceremonial dance again. 

“Take your clothes off, Sam,” he ordered in a soothing voice, and the hunter immediately complied as Loki continued to dance around him, teasing him mercilessly. This time though, he had dialed back the incense enough to get a little more from Sam, but not enough to give his conscience a chance to get through. “Get on your knees and worship me,” he whispered darting close enough to ghost his breath over Sam’s ear. 

Sam quickly dropped to his knees and looked up reverently at the god through his half-lidded eyes and Loki continued to dance around him reveling in the sight of the naked hunter on his knees for him before he untied his breeches and stopped in front of Sam, letting his cock dangle in the hunter’s face. “Worship me, Sam,” he said as he slid his leaking length over Sam’s lips, leaving no question as to what he meant. Sam immediately opened his mouth and swallowed Loki down and the god trailed a sharp fingernail over Sam’s jaw before pulling it to his mouth to taste the blood. He didn’t get quite as much power as he would have if he’d asked first, but this was just a taste. They would get there later. It was too soon to go that far as evidenced by the pained whimper around his cock when he broke the skin. The incense needed more time to permeate his system and dull his pain receptors first. 

The power he got from having Sam sucking him wasn’t nearly as much as if he was fucking the hunter, but it still felt amazing and the moon wasn’t quite up yet anyway, so he could take some time to indulge himself. He cupped the back of the hunter’s head as he thrust himself all the way to his throat. “Oh yes, Sam. That’s it. Worship me,” he whispered breathlessly as he felt himself getting close. He’d decided that he wasn’t going to hold himself back tonight. He was going to cum as much as he could. He couldn’t get the image of Sam’s stomach swollen with his cum out of his head and he’d never realized just how hot it could be. He had every intention of coming this first time in Sam’s mouth though and when he did, the hunter instinctively swallowed. “Mmm. Yes, Sam. You like the taste of me don’t you,” Loki purred as he ran his hand over Sam’s hair once he was spent. 

“Yes, Loki,” Sam said in a daze. 

“That’s a good boy,” Loki praised. “Go lay down on the altar for me,” he coaxed, and Sam immediately did as he was told. Loki climbed up on the altar himself and leaned over the hunter. “Spread your legs for me, Sammy.”

Loki didn’t bother lubing himself up this time since his cock was still plenty wet from Sam’s saliva. It wouldn’t work nearly as well as lube, but it hardly mattered at this point. He slid himself in, lifting Sam’s hips with one hand as the other went to the hunter’s straining dick. He could tell that Sam was already close. Apparently the still conscious part of his mind enjoyed sucking Loki’s cock. He set a quick pace from the start, stroking him just as fast and it was no time at all before Sam spilled over and Loki closed his eyes as the waves of power rolled over him even as he was licking his hand clean from the hunter’s cum. 

Once Sam was all clean, Loki whispered, “Will you bleed for your god, Sammy?” 

“Oh god, yes. Please,” Sam gasped out and Loki shuddered in anticipation as he ran a fingernail over the hunter’s shoulder, trailing his tongue over the wound before latching on and sucking, even as his other hand did the same on Sam’s other shoulder. He was hoping the hunter would take the hint like he had last time and his hopes were founded as Sam smeared his hand in the blood and started running it over Loki’s face and neck and even in his hair while Loki drank blissfully. 

When he could feel Sam getting close again, he sat back up on his knees and started stroking the hunter as he pounded into him hard and fast, closing his eyes against the sensation as Sam’s blood soaked fingers found their way to his mouth and he sucked greedily on them. When Sam spilled over, his hips stuttered and stopped for a moment as he filled the hunter with his own seed. They didn’t stop for long though before he was sliding in and out again at a much slower pace, trying to build them back up. “Say my name, Sam,” he whispered breathlessly as he licked over the wounds, sucking lightly, trying not to take too much from him before it could be replenished. 

“Loki,” Sam whispered reverently. “Loki. My god.”

“Yes…that’s it, Sam. Worship me,” Loki urged him on. 

“Yes Loki…I worship you, Loki…more…please Loki…” Sam gasped out as Loki started to pick up the pace again, sitting up on his knees, taking more blood from Sam’s fingers as they both blew again. 

By the time morning came and Loki drove them both over the edge one more time, they had both cum over a dozen times. Loki ran a hand over Sam’s distended stomach as he licked his lips. Yes. This was perfect. Loki leaned over and whispered in Sam’s ear, “I’ll see you next month to see if you want to volunteer again. If you want me before then, all you have to do is pray,” before he pulled himself out and snapped his fingers, replacing the clone of him with the real Sam and putting him to sleep before going home and snapping up a strong meade as he plopped on his couch sipping it while thinking about next month. It had been a long time since he had so looked forward to a tribute.


	3. Chapter 3

Sam woke less than an hour later, this time knowing it was no dream, but not quite able to bring up the disgust he felt that he should be feeling. He winced as he sat up, his ass just as sore as it was last time and he made his way to the bathroom. He looked at the cuts on his chest and shoulders in the mirror and even ran a finger over them almost reverently, feeling himself hardening at the memory they invoked. He decided that he would go again next month, if only to make sure that Loki didn’t kidnap some other random person in his place. At least, that’s what he told himself, and he could almost make himself believe it and if, when he took his shower, it ended up being a little longer than usual, and he whispered Loki’s name at one point…well no one was around to know. 

His thoughts of the god stayed in the forefront of his mind over the rest of the month. Through the movie set and the prison, Loki was always on his mind. As much as he knew that this thing with Loki was wrong, that just made it more exciting. It was like the forbidden fruit that he couldn’t not take. It was a deep dark secret that he kept from the world and it was intoxicating. Almost as intoxicating as the incense Loki used. He replayed that night in his head more times than he could count. More than once, he considered calling Loki, but resisted. He would do what he was obligated to do to protect others. That was as far as he would indulge himself with this illicit tryst. 

Sam almost called Loki for help when Dean got caught by the djinn, but he resisted and managed to save his brother himself. He did start reading up on how to get something from a god without giving up too much in the process. He had barely gotten anywhere on that idea yet when the full moon came around and he once again found Loki in his room as it was nearing moonrise. Rather than actually having to say the words, he just reached out his hand to Loki who smirked and took it, and they reappeared in the same temple they had been, incense once again burning. 

Sam might have done something before the incense dulled his mind, but he was still too nervous and unsure to try, not to mention that he had no idea what it was that he wanted to do. Just that he wanted to do something. The incense was fast acting though and before Sam knew it he was lost in the haze and Loki was beginning his dance with his order of, “Take off your clothes, Sam,” followed by, “On your knees.” Sam didn’t need to be encouraged to suck Loki this time and dove in as soon as the large beautiful cock was free, pulling a moan from the god who ran a hand through his hair. “Mmm. Such a good boy,” he praised, and all Sam knew was that he wanted more. More of Loki…more of his praise. He wanted to make Loki happy. Wanted to give him everything he wanted. He would later wonder how much of that was the drugs talking, but in the moment, he couldn’t even consider the possibility. 

He looked up through his lashes at the god to see that he had his head thrown back in ecstasy before he seemed to feel Sam’s eyes on him and looked down and Sam noticed that his eyes were slightly glowing gold. Some part of his mind might have said that it was just another sign that he was a monster, if that part of him were still awake right now, but the part of him that craved more found it completely arousing and he picked up the pace, desperately needing to taste his god, and now. It wasn’t long before Loki’s hand tightened in his hair and let out a stuttered moan as he blew in the hunter’s mouth and Sam swallowed every drop before Loki told him, “Go lay down on the altar.” Loki followed him over there, leaning over the hunter as he breathed out, “So beautiful,” running a hand down Sam’s body as the hunter shivered in pleasure. “Spread your legs for me, beautiful,” he whispered and wasted no time plunging into the tight hole Sam revealed to him. 

Once again, Sam was already on the edge before they even got to this point and Loki wasted no time getting him off, and licking the sweet taste of the hunter from his hand and Sam’s body. Once Sam was clean of everything, but the sheening sweat on his skin, Loki whispered the ritual words in his ear. “Will you bleed for your god, Sam?” 

“Yes. Always,” Sam breathed out. 

“Say my name, Sam,” he said as he ran a fingernail over the hunter’s shoulder. Sam always seemed to forget that part for some reason. 

“Loki…Loki…Loki,” Sam chanted breathlessly. 

“Yes. That’s it, Sam. Worship me, beautiful,” Loki encouraged him, feeling the strength of Sam’s drug induced devotion. If he were to let Sam see his eyes now they would be glowing far brighter than they had before. There was a reason that he always kept them closed when Sam was looking at him. He wasn’t sure just how much of the glow Sam’s retinas could take. Letting him see them when he was sucking him before had been risky, but at least now he knew that the hunter could handle that much. He could feel Sam’s bloody hands roaming over his body. He could feel the blood soaking into his pores and it was driving him higher and higher as he slammed into the hard body beneath him. 

Once he had snapped Sam back to his motel room once the sun came up, and himself back to his apartment, he collapsed on his couch with a tall glass of meade, not even bothering to clean all the blood off himself, as he stroked himself while thinking about the night he’d had. He could definitely get used to Sam being his tribute on full moons and hoped that it went on for quite a while. 

 

Sam woke up in his motel room, once again wincing at the pain in his ass, as he got up and headed for the bathroom. As was becoming routine, he ran a finger over the healing cuts getting a little shiver as the memories from the previous night rushed back to him. It was getting harder and harder for him to convince himself that he was only doing this to keep Loki from taking some other innocent person. It was getting harder to convince himself that he wasn’t doing it because he loved it. He lived for the rush. The rush of the sex sure, but also the rush of knowing that he was doing something so wrong. Something so twisted. He’d never realized he had such a dark side before. Even the blood added in a whole new level of excitement and he craved it. 

He found himself glad that whatever Loki did to him to keep him going all night took some time to wear off as he stood in the shower and stroked himself to completion yet again. He was glad that Loki never healed him completely. He loved having the reminders the morning after, even if it did culminate in strange looks from his brother at how gingerly he moved and how he generally avoided sitting as much as possible. He knew that Loki had to have healed him some though since if he hadn’t, he would have been much worse after spending eight to twelve hours a night with a huge dick slamming into his ass without even a single break. Or maybe it was something in the incense. He wondered what was in it. Would Loki even tell him if he asked? Did he even want to know? He couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like without it though. Maybe one day he would give it a shot. If he could ever get up the guts to do so. He didn’t know if he could bring himself to obey so unflinchingly without that little push and didn’t know how Loki would take it if he didn’t.


	4. Chapter 4

It was less than a week before Sam found himself abducted and waking up in a ghost town. He started getting really nervous when he met up with a group of other ‘special kids’ like him. When the yellow-eyed demon visited him in his dreams he considered calling Loki for help, but was soon distracted by the fact that Ava was missing and he went to look for her only to be called back by her scream to find Andy dead. That was two of the five of them that were dead already and this was getting out of hand. He had to call Loki. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “Loki, I’m in a bit of a situation here and could use some help, please. Amen.” Before Ava and Jake could look at him like he was too insane, Sam’s jaw was dropping and he was screaming out a denial as Ava’s head slid off her shoulders revealing that Loki had appeared behind her. “What the hell, Loki!? How could you?!”

“You asked for help. I assumed you wanted the demon’s agent taken care of,” Loki said with a shrug. 

“She wasn’t…” Sam started to protest before he was cut off. 

“I read her mind first, Sam. I’m not a mindless killer. She’s killed almost fifty people in cold blood in the last two months. Including him,” Loki said motioning to the dead body on the floor. “Her soul was as black as they come.”

“But…she…she couldn’t…it’s Ava…” Sam sputtered. 

“People can surprise you, Sam,” Loki said almost gently even as he wondered why the hell he was even here. He’d known when he got involved with the hunter that this would be coming for him and now he had pitted himself against hell, and by extension heaven. It was this thinking that he was already screwed that had him sticking around to see this through when the demon showed up. 

“What are you doing here, pagan. This is none of your concern.”

Loki took a deep breath and committed himself to his course of action. In for a penny, in for a pound. “You made it my concern when you kidnapped my high priest for your games,” he snarled as he spun to look at the demon. 

“Your high priest?” the demon scoffed, wondering which of the boys the pagan was talking about and hoping against hope that it wasn’t the boy king. He could be persuaded to let the other go. 

“Yes. Sam Winchester is my high priest,” Loki said firmly. “And he is off limits.”

“You cannot claim him,” Azazel growled. “He was claimed by me when he was an infant.”

“And he chose me of his free will. That takes precedence over anything you took from him as you well know,” Loki snapped. 

Jake looked sideways at Sam before asking under his breath, “Doesn’t it bother you that they are fighting over you like a pet?” 

Sam snorted humorlessly. “To a god and a demon, that’s probably what I am,” he replied, ignoring the pang of emotion at that thought. “Honestly I’m more concerned with hoping that Loki wins.” 

Sam apparently wasn’t as quiet as he wanted to be, since Loki looked over at him and winked at that statement giving him a little smirk in the process before he turned his attention back to the demon who said, “Regardless, you cannot have him. You will have to choose a new high priest, I’m afraid.”

“That’s not going to happen,” Loki said standing taller and readying himself for a fight. 

“Then I will have to kill you and then he will be free again,” Azazel said cruelly, calling a stake to his hand. 

“Oh, you want to dance, little demon? Let’s dance,” Loki said with a cold smirk, calling his blade and seeing the demon’s eyes widen before he stole his voice and attacked. He knew that the demon wouldn’t be sure what he was, thinking he could have just stolen the blade or come across it by other means but he was counting on his hesitation and hesitation is what he got. The demon called his own blade for defense as he tried to get a shot with the stake. He knew that the demon couldn’t see anything but pagan while looking at him, so was banking on the assumption that he had stolen the blade. Especially since it wasn’t like he had anything that could kill an archangel. 

Loki managed to avoid any but glancing blows with both the stake and the blade as they danced around the room, ending up outside where they had more room, followed by both Sam and Jake who were entranced at the skill the fighters showed. Once he had more room to move, it wasn’t long before Loki’s blade was running through Azazel’s heart and a blue light poured from the demon’s eyes and mouth, causing the two humans to shield their eyes, before he fell down dead. Loki turned back to the watchers, barely rumpled, just in time for Jake to ask, “Dude, what are you?” 

“Loki, god of chaos and mischief,” Loki said with a sweeping bow. “And you, don’t need to be here,” he finished waving his hand and the boy disappeared back where he came from. 

“Loki…thank you,” Sam said gratefully. 

“Don’t thank me yet, Sam. This isn’t over yet,” he told him, and as if to prove his point, a woman appeared behind him. He sensed her even before Sam could call out a warning and spun to face her. “Lilith,” he said with a barely polite nod. 

“Pagan,” she said curling her lip in distaste. “You dare kill a prince of hell and endanger the treaties? What is your business here?” 

“I am not the one endangering the treaties, sweetheart. Your prince kidnapped my high priest and set him into a fight to the death against his will. I fight for what is mine as is my right,” Loki said imperiously. 

“You claim this boy as your high priest? When he had already been claimed by hell?” Lilith asked with a snarl. 

“Free will trumps any prior claim, and he chose me of his own free will,” Loki said with a smirk. 

“A hunter…a Winchester at that, aligning themselves with a pagan? You expect me to believe that?” she asked hatefully. Loki’s smirk just widened so she turned to look at Sam. “Come here, child.”

Sam took a step back, but Loki said, “It’s okay, Sam. Go ahead.” When Sam still hesitated, Loki said more forcefully, “I am your god and you will do as I say.”

Sam sucked in a sharp breath and looked pleadingly at Loki who just hardened his look and nodded so Sam decided to take a chance. Loki had already proven that he would protect him and Sam got the idea that he was putting on some kind of show here and needed Sam to play his part so he stepped towards the demon who stood to her tiptoes and gave a hard sniff up his neck before growling and shoving him away. Before Sam could blink, Loki was standing between them again. “It is true. He has bled for you. You have marked him inside and out,” she paced as she considered how she could salvage something from this. “Your family would be disgusted with you,” she snapped at Sam. Perhaps she could get him to forsake this god. 

“Now that you know, he will be left in peace by you and your kind, or the treaties will be even more at risk than they already are. Are you ready for war with the pagan armies?” he drawled. He wished he had cut her off before that last statement. He couldn’t afford for Sam to forsake him now. Later it would be his choice, but if he did it now, then Loki would have no choice but to leave him to his mercies against the queen of hell. 

“You won’t get away with this, you know,” Lilith said with her own smirk. “Others will come for you. Others you cannot hope to fight.” She wouldn’t pull hell into a fight they might not be able to win. Not when the angels would happily wipe out this scum when they found out what the pagans had done. She would let them do the dirty work and then she would take them both while they were weak. Her parting shot given she left. 

“Why do they want me so badly?” Sam asked confused. 

“Because you are the key to the Judeo-Christian apocalypse and they are very much in favor of getting that show underway,” Loki told him. 

Sam sucked in a sharp breath as his eyes widened and he tried to wrap his head around that. “But…but they can’t now?” 

“Not as long as you are my high priest,” Loki told him raising his eyebrow as if to ask a question and Sam took a deep breath and nodded in answer to that question. If it kept the apocalypse from happening, he would take the job. He would blame his gratefulness to Loki for saving him, both from the demon and from starting the apocalypse for his next action as he grabbed the god and kissed him deeply. It wasn’t until their lips met that Sam realized that with all the sex they’d had, never once had he been kissed. 

Loki was completely taken off guard by the action, but wasn’t about to let Sam have control of the kiss so he buried his hands in Sam’s hair and kissed him back hard, enforcing his own dominance on the action before pulling back just in time to hear, “What the fuck, Sam!” coming from the treeline.


	5. Chapter 5

“Tell me this is not what it looks like,” Dean asked heatedly. 

“What…um…what does it look like?” Sam asked nervously trying to think fast. 

“It looks like you ran away with a monster boyfriend and set demon guards,” Dean said. 

“What?! No! It’s nothing like that,” Sam protested honestly. At Dean’s skeptical look, he explained further. “The demons kidnapped me and brought me here. Loki came to save me. Look! He killed the yellow eyed demon,” he said pointing to the body on the ground. 

“And why the hell would he come save you? Isn’t he supposed to be dead?” Dean asked narrowing his eyes at the trickster god. 

Sam opened his mouth to speak but Loki cut him off before he could say anything. “Be careful, Sam. Now that you’ve been officially named my high priest, your words have weight.”

“You mean if I…”

“If you forsake me, then I can’t protect you anymore,” Loki said pointedly. 

“If I don’t I’ll lose my brother,” Sam said heartbrokenly, hoping their conversation was soft enough that Dean couldn’t hear them as far away as he was standing. 

“This path is never an easy one,” Loki said sympathetically. “If you choose to walk it, there will be sacrifices. Will you bleed for your god, Sam?” he asked softly, and Sam got it. He understood that that question meant more than just blood. It meant sacrifice. It meant giving everything he had to give up to and including his life. If he had understood before he might have walked away, but now…it was too late. If he walked away now, the apocalypse could start, and he would make any sacrifice necessary to stop it. 

Sam took a deep breath as he steeled himself for what he would have to do, closing his eyes as he did so. Dean would never accept any excuses. He had to go all in. He tried to keep the pain out of his voice as he opened his eyes and looked at his brother. “I worship Loki,” he said as evenly as he could manage, not at all surprised when Dean’s gun came up to point at him. He took comfort from the fact that his brother’s hands were shaking, and he was obviously hesitant to shoot. 

Before he was able to even process that thought though Loki was standing in front of him. “So far today, I’ve killed a prince of hell and gone toe to toe with the queen of hell to protect him. Do you really think I’ll allow you to harm him?” Loki asked dangerously. Dean raised his gun higher and Loki turned to Sam. “Kneel Sam,” he said, and Sam didn’t hesitate to do so, despite not being sure why, other than staking than his claim. He had committed to his course and he had to see it through. 

“Please don’t hurt him, Loki?” Sam asked hopefully, loud enough for Dean to hear. “I’ll do anything.”

Loki reached out a hand to run it fondly over Sam’s head. “You are my high priest. Your service is the only payment required for me to answer your prayers,” he told the hunter as he stalled for time. He was waiting for something. Waiting to see what the hunters would do before he decided what to do to them. When he felt the stake headed for his back, he snapped his fingers and they disappeared. 

“What…what did you do with them?” Sam asked worriedly. 

“I sent them back to their cars. Your brother will have a bit of a rash for a few days though. That’s the least he deserves for trying to kill someone when their back is turned.”

“You thought he wouldn’t?” Sam asked almost incredulously. 

“I hoped. If he had been the slightest bit reasonable we could have talked this out and you could have kept your brother in your life in some way,” Loki said with a shrug. 

“Thank you, Loki,” Sam said gratefully looking up at him. 

“You can get up now,” Loki now with a wry smile. “I needed to be able to cover you better. If you were standing he could still shoot you over my head,” he explained. He knew that had probably made the situation worse, but he couldn’t take the risk. It was his job to protect his priest. Failure wasn’t an option. Sam nodded in understanding as his eyes filled with tears. “It’ll be okay, Sam,” Loki tried to reassure him. 

Sam took a deep breath beating back the tears. He couldn’t fall apart yet. There was more he needed to know first. “Being your high priest…what does that mean exactly?” 

“Let’s go somewhere more comfortable for this conversation, shall we?” Loki asked holding out his hand for Sam who just nodded and took it. Once they had reappeared in a rather lavish sitting room, Loki began to explain. He started with the generalities of the situation, knowing that the hunter had no idea of any of it, having not been given the position in the normal way. “Each god and goddess has one high priest or high priestess. The only exception is if they are a mated pair, then they can have two. The high priest or priestess is the only one with regular contact with the god and serves as the go between for all other priests and priestesses, of which I currently have none, so you don’t need to worry about that part yet. The only other duty you have is basically to serve me in whatever way I wish, but don’t worry. I’m not particularly demanding. You’ll have plenty of free time. In return for your service, you get my protection. I will answer any reasonable prayers you may have, and you have the right to live in the temple here if you so wish. There is a suite set aside for the high priest or priestess.”

“What kind of service do you need?” Sam asked curiously. 

“You mean other than what you’ve been doing?” Loki asked with a waggle of his eyebrows, but Sam wasn’t really in the mood to laugh at the moment, so Loki sighed and continued. “You would accompany me to any events as an assistant.” Assistant sounded better than servant so he used that here. “Should I ever have need of a schedule, you would manage it as well as any other priests or priestesses should I ever get more of those.”

“How likely is that?” Sam asked wondering why Loki didn’t have any. 

“As far as the schedule not very. I AM a god of chaos. Having a schedule rather defeats the purpose,” he joked. “As far as having other priests and priestesses, I don’t know. I’ve never really bothered before, but now that I have you, once you learn a little more about your duties and get more comfortable, I may find some. See, the normal way to become a high priest is to be a priest first and the current high priest anoints his successor with my approval. When Christianity took over the world and slaughtered all the priests and priestesses including my high priestess, I never bothered to rebuild, not wanting to put the time and effort into cultivating anyone.”

“But now you’re…cultivating…me?” Sam asked curiously. 

“I was rather backed into a corner on that one. From the moment I took that girl’s head, I was in the fight, and I had to have a purpose there. Without claiming you as my high priest, I would have been in violation of the treaties.”

“So, you have treaties with hell?” Sam asked distastefully. 

Loki gave a little laugh. “We are pagans. We have treaties with everyone. Heaven, hell, purgatory, each other, and anything and anyone else that has a power structure and army at their disposal.”

“H-heaven?” Sam asked wide-eyed and Loki nodded. Sam put that thought out of his mind at the moment, not realizing that his next question wasn’t the change of subject he meant it to be. “What did that demon mean that others would be coming for you that you couldn’t hope to fight?”

“She meant heaven. The angels are working towards the end of days just as much as the demons are, not that they are working together of course. They will be just as unhappy about my involvement as the demons are.”

“The angels…want to destroy the world?” Sam asked as he could feel all of his illusions of goodness and love being shattered around him. 

“No. The angels want to destroy humanity and remake the world to their specifications. Same as the demons do. Whoever wins the fight wins the earth, and dominion over any stray humans that manage to survive the fight. And the rest of us beings will be caught in the middle when and if it happens,” Loki told him. 

“So, you intentionally targeted me to stop the apocalypse?” Sam asked. 

“Not exactly. I wasn’t planning to get involved. Then you were obviously attracted to me back at the college and it was so close to the full moon, so I took you for tribute. I didn’t expect you to come back again. You set this path the moment you willingly came to my bed and I didn’t realize how far it had gone until it was too far,” Loki told him honestly. 

“Then you don’t want any of this? You don’t want…me?” Sam asked hating how vulnerable those words sounded. 

“I didn’t say that,” Loki frowned at him trying to think of how to put things to set Sam’s mind at ease without lying to him. “I didn’t want to get involved in this fight, but wanting YOU is what set me on this path. Would I have done it if had foreseen what it would come to? If I had fully considered the consequences? I don’t know. But what’s done is done. I’m not UNhappy about it only because YOU come as part of the deal. Does that make sense?” 

“Yeah. It does,” Sam said not completely reassured, but feeling a bit better still. Part of him was just glad that he wasn’t the only one being blindsided here. Still… “What do we do about heaven?”


	6. Chapter 6

Loki shrugged. “I haven’t really thought that far ahead yet. I think we both have quite a bit of thinking to do on where we go next, so why don’t we call it a night. Unless of course, you’d rather forget for a while first?” he asked suggestively with a waggle of his eyebrows. 

“But…it’s not a full moon,” Sam said confused. 

Loki laughed. “You don’t really think that’s the only time I get any do you?” 

“Oh. Right. Obviously not,” Sam said blushing brightly and ignoring the feeling welling up in him at the thought of Loki sleeping with other random people. Now that he thought about it, it was obvious. Maybe that was why he hadn’t thought about it before. 

Loki smirked and leaned close to Sam, running a finger down his cheek. “So, what do you say, beautiful? Wanna forget about our problems for a little while and relieve some of that stress?” His answer came in the form of Sam’s lips attaching to his and he once again quickly took control before ending the kiss. He found that entire act rather uncomfortable, but he wasn’t going to say so and risk Sam not taking the initiative anymore. 

He snapped them down to the worship room with the altar but before Loki could snap his fingers and start the incense, Sam asked, “Can we do it without the drugs this time?” 

Loki raised an eyebrow curiously before he decided they could give it a shot. “Okay. Take off your clothes, Sam.” 

Sam only hesitated a moment before he started unbuttoning his shirt with shaking hands. Usually the drugs kept his mind dulled enough that he wasn’t completely sure what was happening, but this was fully premeditated and it was nerve-wracking. Just being in this room was enough to turn him on though and he was more than a little eager to experience this while in his right mind. 

Since this wasn’t the full ceremony and the hallucinogens weren’t active to enhance it, Loki didn’t bother with the dance as he walked around Sam, trailing his hand over the hunter’s naked body as he did so, just admiring the way he looked. His body was perfect for his new position. There was one thing to take care of first though. He may have been able to fool the demons with the partial bond they had in place, but he had to fully claim Sam as his high priest before heaven or the other pagans got involved. They wouldn’t be so easily fooled, and this was the perfect time. 

After his third circuit of the hunter, he ran a fingernail over his wrist, opening a cut there and placed it to Sam’s lips. “Drink, Sam, and take your place at my feet,” he told him. Sam seemed a little hesitant at first, but did as he was told. The second the first drop of Loki’s sweet blood hit his lips though he began to drink like his life depended on it as the waves of lust just rolled over him, nearly unbearable as Loki’s hand went to Sam’s cock, but didn’t touch him. He just cupped his hand beneath him read to catch what he spilled, and it wasn’t long before Sam was whimpering a moan as the warm liquid spilled over Loki’s hand. 

Now that he had fully bonded the hunter as his servant, he would be protected from any damage from Loki’s eyes, so he opened them, staring straight into Sam’s as he brought his hand to his lips and seductively licked it clean, even as Sam continued to drink from his wrist. He wouldn’t let him go too much longer, but it was definitely doing things to him too, so he was willing to indulge him for a little while. At least until his own erection was getting too uncomfortable so he pulled his wrist away as Sam tried to follow it with a whine. “You can have more later, Sam,” Loki promised. “First you need to get on your knees and worship me,” he ordered. 

All of Sam’s nerves evaporated in his lust, but he was still in his right mind, at least mostly. He just felt a little bit drunk. He didn’t hesitate to drop to his knees and when Loki wasn’t opening his pants quickly enough, Sam reached out to help him impatiently. Loki just pushed his hands away with a chuckle. “Patience, Sam,” he chided as he finished undoing his belt and his jeans, slowly just to see Sam squirm. As soon as his cock was free, Sam immediately took it in his mouth and moaned around it sending amazing vibrations through Loki’s entire being and the god knew that he wasn’t going to last long this time. The sharing of blood was a very intimate thing. Only done between a god and their high priest. It was intoxicating for both parties. 

Loki wasn’t getting nearly as much power from this now while the moon was waning, but he did still get some. He would always get some from any union, especially with his priest. Sam looked up into the glowing golden eyes that currently had no pupil and no whites. It was just solid gold as it got brighter and brighter as Sam sucked harder and faster until Loki threw his head back and came down the hunter’s throat and Sam swallowed every drop. “Go lay down on the altar, Sam,” Loki ordered, not bothering to hide his eyes anymore as he looked straight at the hunter…his new priest. 

Loki barely contained his moan as he saw Sam not only go lay down on the altar, but spread his legs wide and lift them enough to bare his tight perfect hole and Loki quickly scrambled up onto the altar and slammed himself inside pausing with a wince at the hunter’s cry of pain. He had forgotten that without the incense to dull the pain it would hurt. Especially with his size. He didn’t apologize though. Gods didn’t apologize to their servants. He did hold himself still as he massaged around Sam’s hole, sending bursts of healing to ease the pain. He would have to be more careful in the future if they continued to do this without the incense. “That’s my good boy,” he crooned softly, trying to get his mind off the pain even as it was easing. “That’s it. That feels better doesn’t it?” he said as he slowly began to move, seeing Sam’s erection that had started to wane at the pain of his entrance begin to recover. 

Loki moved one of his hands up to Sam’s face to turn the hunter’s head to look at him. He looked deep into his eyes even as his own eyes glowed brighter and brighter. “Worship me, Sam. Say my name.” 

“Yes, Loki. I…I worship you, Loki,” Sam panted only stumbling a little over the words that he had said a dozen times while lost in the haze of the incense, but this was really the first time he was consciously saying them. He could see the glow of Loki’s eyes growing brighter as he spoke and he knew that he should be disgusted by the reminder of what Loki was, but he couldn’t be. He couldn’t find it anything but hot as hell and it drove him even higher. “Yes, Loki. My god. My…my everything. I worship you, Loki,” Sam continued speaking seeing the glow continue to gain in strength as he finally realized exactly what Loki gained from all this beyond the actual pleasure of sex to begin with. 

“Yes, Sam…more,” Loki said blissfully as he slid his hard cock faster and harder into Sam’s tight hole. 

Sam kept up a litany of words as he found himself getting just as lost in the moment now as he did with the drugs clouding his mind. He knew that he was getting close to coming again and suspected that Loki was as well as he said, “Let me bleed for you, Loki.”

Loki let out a choked moan as he quickly ran a fingernail across Sam’s chest, remembering at the last second to not go deep enough to hurt him too badly without the numbing properties of the incense. Sam immediately stuck his hand in the blood and reached up to run it over Loki’s face as the glow from his eyes grew bright enough to light the entire expansive room and the god began to stroke the hunter’s aching cock as he turned his head to capture the blood-soaked fingers between his lips and his eyes flared brightly as they both reached completion at the same time. 

Normally, on a non-ceremonial night, this would be the end of it, but Loki didn’t want to stop yet. Not as soon as Sam started bleeding. He hadn’t been intending to go there tonight, but he wasn’t going to deny Sam if that’s what he wanted and he sent a smaller burst of energy to the hunter even as he continued to slide in and out of him, only at a slower pace now as he leaned down to lick and suck over the wound on Sam’s chest while opening another one on the other side and Sam wasted no time sliding his hand through the blood and over the god’s firm body, lifting his hips in time with Loki’s slow pace. 

When they both got close to their release again, Loki got back up on his knees and this time, Sam mixed the blood on his hands with the cum he had spilled last time before lifting his fingers to Loki’s lips and the god sucked greedily as his own hand was furiously jacking Sam off. Sam replaced that hand with his other, also mixed with blood and semen even as he hooked his knees over Loki’s shoulders pulling the god in deeper as the pace quickly turned frantic and Sam blew first. Loki lifted his own hand to his lips, licking the hunter off of him as he exploded in Sam’s tight ass. Once he was spent, he slowly pulled out and leaned down to lick everything else he’d missed off the hunter’s hard body, blood and semen alike. Now that he wasn’t rushing him out, he could take his time and clean him up properly. 

Once they had caught their breath and Sam was clean, Loki asked, “Where do you want to go?” 

Sam sucked in a sharp breath at the reminder of everything he’d lost. “I…I don’t really have anywhere to go,” he said sadly. 

“Remember you have apartments here, if you want to use them,” Loki reminded him. 

“Then, yeah. I guess I will,” Sam said looking away as he could feel the tears welling up in his eyes again. 

“Your rooms are through that door in the back to the right of the dais,” Loki told him. “I’ll leave you to explore,” he said as he disappeared in a gust of wind.


	7. Chapter 7

Sam lay there on the altar for a few more minutes after Loki left before he pulled himself to his feet and put his clothes back on and headed for what Loki said were his rooms. He was exhausted. Both physically and emotionally. He would explore tomorrow. He opened the door to find a lavish sitting room with a small kitchen next to it. He went through another door at the back and found what he was looking for. A bed. He didn’t even look around as he just collapsed into the bed and was out like a light. 

The next morning, he was woken by the sun shining in the window and he stretched loudly, having had the best night’s sleep he could ever remember. When he opened his eyes and remembered where he was and why he was here, that comfort quickly evaporated. His brother hated him. He wanted to kill him even. He had bound himself to a monster…no, not a monster. A god. He had to remember that. He couldn’t think of Loki as a monster anymore. He was his god now. In more than name and more than one night a month. Sam wasn’t a hunter anymore. He was a high priest and gods weren’t monsters anymore. 

He looked around the room and even with his emotional turmoil he couldn’t help but be impressed. The bed was a large canopy bed with dark forest green curtains detailed in gold to go with the bedding with was a soft cream color, also detailed in gold. The posts of the canopy bed were a rich wood, with…of course…gold details. He ran a hand over one of them and wondered for a moment if it was real gold before he realized that this room was for Loki’s high priest. Of course, it was real gold. He wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the gold details in the fabrics were real spun gold even. He pulled himself out of bed taking a moment to wriggle his feet into the impossibly soft rug to match the impossibly soft bed before he got up and started looking around. 

There was a large wardrobe and a bedside table in wood that matched the bed. He opened the wardrobe to see what was in there and he saw his bag on the floor of the wardrobe, but the top was full of robes. There were three that he could see were obviously ceremonial, with a forest green top layer, a cream colored underrobe, with Loki’s sigil on the back and breast of the overrobe and gold designs around the collar of the underrobe and the hems of the overrobe. There were a dozen other robes that seemed more casual, all carrying Loki’s sigil on the breast and he wondered if that was what he was supposed to wear around here. He did want to change and couldn’t quite bring himself to touch his bag just yet. He would deal with all that later. He stepped into the next room to find a large bathroom. It took him a moment to learn how to work the ancient fixtures but he had soon relieved himself and had a hot shower going. 

When he was clean, he headed back to the wardrobe and grabbed one of the casual robes and slipped it on, not at all surprised by the fact that it was immensely comfortable, but he was surprised by the fact that there were multiple inside pockets to the robe but no outside pockets. He supposed that did make it more difficult for pickpockets at least. He slid his wallet and phone into the pockets after noticing that his phone actually did have signal here, not that he would need it since the only people who called him were after his head now. It still comforted him a bit to have it though, so he kept it with him. It wasn’t until he noticed the fur boots next to his bag at the bottom of the wardrobe that he thought to wonder where in the world they were and thus what the weather was like. Now that he was thinking about it, if he had to guess, it would be somewhere in the Nordic region which meant that even in the summer it would be pretty chilly. The thick fabric of the robes made more sense now and he wondered if he would find a hat and gloves to go with it, not that he would likely need to go that far now while they were in the summer. 

For the moment though, he had no problems walking around the temple barefooted so he headed for the kitchen to try and find something for breakfast only to realize that the cupboards were bare. He knew that this place hadn’t been in use in something like a thousand years, but he figured Loki would have provided something at least if he was going to be staying here. He gave a heavy sigh as he resigned himself to leaving this little sanctuary and he hoped that there was at least something within walking distance or Loki was going to be getting a very strongly worded prayer. He knew that he would probably be looked at rather strangely for his clothing, but didn’t particularly care at the moment. There was no guarantee that his normal clothing would be looked at any less strangely in this place, wherever it was. 

He stepped through the main door of his suite into the worship room and headed towards the large double door at the front, ignoring the twitching of his groin at even being in the room in the first place. He stepped out to find that it was a bright sunny day though it was fairly cold with a film of frost and ice still thawing on the ground in the early morning. If he had to guess he would say that it was around 40 degrees Fahrenheit. He was definitely glad for the boots right now at least. There was a winding path leading away from the temple and he followed it for about five minutes before he could hear voices carried in the wind and he quickened his pace, finding what could only be called a small village that looked like it had been plucked right out of time. 

He noticed the awed stares of the people as he stepped into the village and wondered if it was because he was a stranger or because of his dress, not that it was THAT much different than what they were wearing. That didn’t explain why they were bowing to him as he passed though, and it suddenly dawned on him that he didn’t have anything that might pass for currency in this area and mentally cursed Loki for putting him in this situation. Hell, he didn’t even know how to talk to these people if they spoke English at all. If he could just get some damn breakfast, maybe he could manage to think straight enough to figure out what to do next. He stopped at a stand that seemed to be selling fresh bread, but before he could open his mouth to ask if he could possibly trade some service for some food, he found a basket filled with bread and rolls being handed to him. When he told the man that he couldn’t actually pay for it right now, he was surprised to find it coming out in a different language. That was when he realized that he could actually understand the chatter around him, even if most of it was too soft for him to make out the words. 

“No charge for the high priest,” the man told him as though it should be obvious. 

It was as if that interaction broke the walls around him as an elderly woman rushed up to him and bowed to him. “We are glad to see that our god has returned to us and named a new high priest,” she said reverently.

“I…um…thank you?” Sam said gobsmacked. “I…I’m still very new, and don’t really know much about how this all works yet,” he admitted. 

“I understand. Our god, Loki, has not walked among the people since the conquest and separation. I will help you in the village,” she offered. “Come. You likely need to fill your cupboards after the long absence.” 

“Thank you very much,” Sam said gratefully. As much as he just wanted to find somewhere to eat, she seemed so happy to be able to help and he really did need the help, so he followed her to the next booth which held pastries. “Would it be terribly rude if I were to eat while we walked? I haven’t yet had breakfast.”

“Not at all, high priest,” she told him with a bow. 

“Please, call me Sam,” he told her. 

“Yes, Priest Sam,” she told him. “I am Runa.”

Sam resisted the urge to sigh. It was better than nothing. “Nice to meet you Runa,” he told her as they stopped at another booth selling milk, cheese, and butter. It was followed by jams, then meats, and finally vegetables. 

“That should last you the day, priest Sam. We will have a cart sent to the temple with supplies tomorrow and weekly thereafter, now that it is in use again. Have you decided yet when you will be holding services?” 

“S-services?” Sam asked with a gulp. “I…um…no. No, I haven’t. It may take me a few weeks to settle in first.”

“I understand,” she told him with yet another bow. “We look forward to seeing you again soon, priest Sam. And should you need any help you will find many people here eager to do so.”

“Thank you, Runa,” he said giving her a slight bow in return. “Your assistance was invaluable.” He turned to head back to the temple, head reeling with new information. Oh yes, Loki was definitely going to get a strongly worded prayer.


	8. Chapter 8

The brisk walk back to the temple had cooled Sam off enough that he decided not to yell at Loki over prayer. He would wait until Loki showed himself again and if he didn’t see him in the next week then he would pray and ask for his presence. Sam returned to his suite and put his ‘groceries’ away as he tried to figure out what on earth he was supposed to do about services. Was he supposed to be a real priest here? He had no idea where to even begin. Once he had his groceries put away and grabbed a few more pastries, he went to sit at the table and wait, only to find a book sitting in the center called The Duties and Responsibilities of the High Priest. Something told him that Loki hadn’t written this book, so hopefully it would tell him what these people expected of him. 

He briefly considered finding someplace else to stay and avoiding this place like the plague…except for the full moon nights of course. He quickly put that thought out of his mind though as he remembered the hope on the people’s faces when he walked into the village. They had been abandoned by Loki since the ‘separation’ whatever that meant. He wasn’t going to abandon them now too. He didn’t know if he would be able to live up to their expectations and he would most likely be changing quite a bit, but he would at least make an effort. He’d lost everything else in his life. The least he could do is give these people something. He skimmed through the chapter titles as he finished his much-delayed breakfast before cleaning up the mess and heading to the couch to read. 

By the time he finished the book he realized that there wasn’t much to the job. Apparently, Saturday was Loki’s day, so he was to open the temple for fellowship on Saturdays and let the people pray to Loki, during which offerings of blood would likely be given upon the altar, and he blushed at the thought of offerings on the altar. He would sit in attendance and mingle with the people, taking their prayers and requests to Loki. It was also traditional to have a service at the dark of the moon when he led the people in prayers. It was presumably to give him more power at the time when it was at its lowest. Thankfully, there was a whole section on already written prayers, so he wouldn’t have to wing it. In return for taking their prayers to Loki, the villagers took care of him, making sure he had food, supplies, and anything else he might need. 

When he realized that he was essentially, de facto leader of this community now, he had every intention of taking Loki to task for abandoning them. When he realized how little actually went into planning a service, given that the prayers were already written, he decided that he would hold one for the new moon next week. First though, he would make a list of things he needed to talk to Loki about and ask him for. There was no telling when Loki would show up again, so he wanted to be prepared for that first. He started looking around for something to write with and on and checked the last door he hadn’t seen yet off the sitting room and entered to find a library/office. Perfect. Just what he needed. And the desk was stocked too. At least that was what he thought until he realized the ink was dried up. Oh well. He wasn’t sure he knew how to write with a quill anyway. He knew he had some pens somewhere in his bag. 

When he got to his room and opened the wardrobe again he stopped and just stared at the bag for a good long time before he managed to make himself open it. He took a deep breath and pulled it out and over to the chair in the bedroom as he went to sort through it. His clothes went in the currently empty drawers at the bottom of the wardrobe. Who knew if he would ever use them again though. He pulled out his laptop and his phone charger and resolved to put electricity on the list of things he would ask Loki for, as well as internet access if he didn’t have it already. He had phone service, so he might. His laptop was currently dead though, so he couldn’t check. Speaking of, he pulled out his phone and turned it off. He would check for messages daily, but until he got electricity here to charge it, he would leave it off. He was determined not to crowd Loki, so he wasn’t going to call him again so soon. He could rough it for a few days. At the very least, he wanted a full list of what he needed. He pulled out his first aid kit and toiletries and put them in the bathroom. His weapons he spread around. He didn’t think he would need them here, but there was no reason to be careless. He put a gun under his pillow, one in the drawer in the sitting room, and one in his desk. His knives were spread similarly, but he did clip one onto the belt of his robe. He couldn’t believe that he had gone out today unarmed, and he chalked it up to being so off balance. He had no intention of hurting anyone, but he did have every intention of defending himself if need be. 

He finally got to the bottom of the bag and found his pens and notebooks and took them into the office after shoving the empty bag on top of the wardrobe and sat down to write his list. Among the list were modern world things that didn’t seem to exist here like electricity and internet access, not to mention a washer and dryer for his clothes. He would do a lot of things to fit in here, but he was not handwashing his clothes if he could help it. Not when he could keep such things in the privacy of his own rooms. He was sure the people here would provide him with anything that they could as far as general supplies, but he would need washing powder for his clothes and he doubted they had anything that wouldn’t harm the washing machine. 

By the time that was finished, it was getting late so he headed to bed only to be woken the next morning by a ringing bell of some sort. He had closed his curtains this time, so the sunlight didn’t wake him up and it took him a moment to figure out that it might be a doorbell. He scrambled out of bed and threw a robe on, glad that they were so quick and easy as well as comfortable and he slid his feet into his boots, knowing that it would be cold outside and rushed for the main door of the temple to find a man standing there with a teenage boy and a loaded cart behind them. They bowed to him and asked if he wanted any help getting stuff inside. He started to say no, but the looks on their faces had him doing the opposite. He figured they just wanted to get a look at where the high priest lived. He had no intention of letting them into the apartments, but he had learned from the book that only the god and the high priest could open the temple doors, so they had never even seen the temple. He would let them go that far and leave the stuff outside the door to his rooms and he would finish bringing it in himself. 

The look of wide-eyed wonder on their faces as they walked through the worship area decided Sam about opening up the temple on Saturday which was only two days away. He made sure to tell them that before they left, and they promised to spread the word. He would mention next week’s service then. Once he got everything inside and started unpacking it, he realized that they really had set him up well. He definitely wouldn’t be running out of food anytime soon. They had even brought other supplies like parchment, ink, quills, what seemed to pass for toiletries here, dishes, and so on. There was even a knit hat and gloves with a note from Runa. 

That done, he set out to explore the rest of the temple, specifically the other doors leading off the main hall. The one directly opposite his own was another set of apartments not quite as ornate but still comfortable. The other two, closer to the main door, seemed to be some sort of dormitories. There were forty beds in each room and each bed had a side table and small wardrobe next to it. He added that to his list of things to ask Loki about. It was only two days later that Loki finally showed his face again and was met with a glare from Sam.


	9. Chapter 9

Loki hadn’t even gotten a word out in greeting before Sam was laying into him. “How could you just abandon all these people? And what was all that about me not having to do anything but serve you when there’s a whole community of people here? And why would you not tell me that and leave me with nothing?” 

“Whoa now. Slow down, Sam,” Loki told him, and Sam was really lucky he wasn’t another god talking to him that way, but he would let it go this time. Now that the stream of recriminations had stopped, Loki was free to answer his questions. “As far as abandoning them, I was kinda running for my life at the time. With the religious wars came the first occurrences of hunters and they were after any and all gods. Most of them banded together but I was rather on the outs with the others at the time so I was running alone. I just figured they had died out over time. I didn’t realize they were still here which should answer most of the rest of your questions. As far as leaving you with nothing, that wasn’t my intention. It’s not like I need to stock things, I just snap up what I want when I want it, so it didn’t even occur to me. You could have prayed if you needed something.”

Sam sputtered a bit, but the wind was taken out of his sails at that calm explanation. “You still should have checked on them. They’ve been waiting for you to come back all this time. And what is this place anyway? It’s like these people haven’t even heard of modern conveniences. They’re stuck in like the stone age or something.”

“More like the bronze age, and no they haven’t heard of modern conveniences. I built this island and moved my followers here for protection as the wars kept moving more north. Well as many of them as I could manage to get out before they were slaughtered anyway. They built a community here but eventually the fighting came here too. They came by ship in the dead of night. The priests and priestesses tried to protect the people but they all died. I was in my own pickle at the time and wasn’t able to come help them. I didn’t realize there were survivors, so I sealed off the island from any human means and left. If there are still people here then they have had no contact whatsoever with the outside world in more than a thousand years.”

“How could you not realize there were survivors? Aren’t you a god? Shouldn’t you have known somehow? What about all their prayers? You just don’t get them?” Sam asked incredulously. 

“I was weak. I had barely escaped my own situation with my life. I couldn’t possibly have sensed every nook and cranny on the island. The village was deserted. There were bodies everywhere. I checked the surrounding forests but if they were there they had gone deeper than I could sense at that point, and the chances of them getting that far were so slim I didn’t see the point in checking even if I’d had the strength to. I’d just lost everything, Sam, and I wasn’t in the best frame of mind. As far as their prayers, do you have any idea how many prayers I hear every moment of every day?” 

“I wouldn’t think that many people pray to Loki anymore,” Sam said suspiciously. 

“They don’t usually pray specifically to me, but I also hear any open prayers to anyone. Everyone in the world who prays and doesn’t say a name in their prayers or says a generic ‘god’ I hear. I couldn’t possibly answer them all. Hell, I can’t even hear them all with the way they’re talking over each other all the time. That’s what the priests and priestesses were for,” Loki explained. 

“But you’d hear mine?” Sam asked curiously. 

“Because of the connection between the priests and priestesses and their gods they come through crystal clear, but without any priests left there was no one to bring me their prayers.”

“Well now they have one,” Sam said firmly. 

“Good,” was Loki’s only response. “And since they are still here and apparently still worshipping me, you’re free to start scouting around for others if you want. Of course, final say always lies with me, but feel free to work up a short list for me.”

“Any criteria I should keep in mind?” Sam asked. He wasn’t sure if he would do that yet, but he might as well figure out what to look for first. 

“They must be virgins. I have to be the one to take their virginity for the bonding to hold. Beyond that, just that they be loyal,” Loki told him. 

“I wasn’t a virgin,” Sam pointed out, trying to ignore the unpleasant stirring in his gut at the idea of Loki taking people’s virginity. 

“Not in the strictest sense of the word, but you had never been with a man, so technically you did still have that innocence left,” Loki explained. 

“Oh. Right. That makes sense,” Sam said blushing. The idea of asking people if they were virgins didn’t exactly appeal to him though, so he decided to table that for later. “So, did you stop by for something in particular?” he asked desperate to change the subject now. 

“Yes, actually. With the whole heaven coming after us eventually thing, I had to call a summit of the gods. All of the Norse gods will be meeting tomorrow at sunup, and as my high priest, you will go with me.”

“Wh-what will I need to do?” Sam asked nervously. He was still getting used to being in the presence of one god, but all of them? 

“You will stand behind my chair, fetch me anything I need, and only speak when spoken to,” Loki told him. “If in doubt, watch the other priests and priestesses. Most everyone will have one.”

“O-okay. I think I can do that,” Sam said with an audible gulp. 

“The most important thing you need to know is that when it concerns you, my word is law. You don’t listen to anyone but me, but you listen to me without question and without hesitation. If someone else asks you to do something or asks you a question, you look to me and I will tell you what to do,” Loki told him. “And do NOT embarrass me by forgetting that rule.”

“I-I won’t,” Sam said taking a deep breath and trying to get his nerves under control. 

“Good. Now let’s get back to the situation here. How are you settling in? Any problems I should be aware of?” Loki changed the subject. 

“Well there are a few things I would like if you could…you know…snap them up for me?” Sam asked hopefully. 

“Like what?” Loki asked.

“Well electricity would be nice. At least within these rooms so I can charge my phone and laptop. An internet connection too. And a washer and dryer for my clothes and some washing powder for it…”

“Tell me you aren’t planning to wash these robes that way,” Loki interrupted. 

“Why not?” Sam asked. 

“Those are pure sheepskin,” Loki said pointedly. “They are very delicate.”

“So how do I wash them then?” Sam asked, still determined not to hand wash if he could avoid it. He was just glad this place had indoor plumbing already, even if it was ancient. He wondered if the people out there had indoor plumbing or if it was something installed via Loki. 

“Well I suppose you could WASH them that way. If you use the gentle cycle and cold water, but they have to be dried on the drying racks outside the windows,” Loki acquiesced. 

“The what?” Sam asked confusedly. 

Loki rolled his eyes. “Come with me,” he said, leading the priest over to the window and showing him how to open it and pull up the rack and lock the legs into place. “You drape them over this, make sure none of it is hanging off the sides and let them dry that way. The eaves will protect them from direct sunlight and any precipitation if it happens to be raining or snowing.”

“And if they freeze when the weather gets too cold?” Sam asked, now genuinely curious. 

“You light a fire in here and dry them inside of course,” Loki said rolling his eyes again. 

“Okay, just the washing machine then. I doubt I’ll be wearing my normal clothes enough to bother with a dryer. On the rare chance I wear them I’ll just set them out to dry too,” Sam told him. 

“Good enough,” Loki said snapping up the requested items and Sam went to plug his computer and phone in. When Sam got back, Loki asked, “So, you up for a little stress relief before the big summit tomorrow?” with a waggle of his eyebrows. Sam took his offered hand. Like he was going to say no. Ha!


	10. Chapter 10

Loki knew that Sam was nervous about the summit, but Loki himself needed to let himself forget for a while too. He needed to forget about the people he’d accidentally abandoned. He needed to forget that he hadn’t quite been as alone as he’d thought he’d been all these centuries. He needed it all to go away. At least for a little while, so he was very glad that Sam agreed and quickly led him into the worship hall. “With incense or without?” 

“What does the incense do exactly?” Sam asked. 

“It lowers your inhibitions a lot like alcohol. It also has a mild hallucinogen to enhance the experience, and an agent that dulls the pain receptors and enhances the pleasure centers in your brain,” Loki explained. 

“How about we just use the incense for the full moon nights?” Sam suggested. He did enjoy it with the incense and on a night with eight to twelve hours of straight sex the dulled pain receptors would likely come in very handy, but he didn’t want to use it all the time. He also enjoyed being with Loki when his mind was all there too. 

“If you prefer,” Loki told him before getting to business. “Take your clothes off.”

It was much quicker this time since Sam was just wearing the robe and he was standing there completely naked almost immediately. A lot of Sam’s nerves from last time weren’t there either taking away any hesitation on his part. While part of him was embarrassed to be standing there buck naked while Loki was still fully clothed, he couldn’t deny the power he felt when Loki’s eyes burned with lust for him. He still wished he could get a good look at Loki’s body too though. Loki never got naked until Sam was already on the altar and then they were moving too much for Sam to get a good look at him in his full glory. Maybe one day he would get up the nerve to ask for it. Just like he might get up the nerve to ask why Loki never kissed him. 

Loki walked slowly around his priest, examining his body and running his hand lightly over the hard body. After a few circuits, he said, “On your knees, Sam.” Sam immediately dropped to his knees and waited patiently as Loki undid his pants and slid his hard cock out, but as soon as he was free Sam descended on it like he was starving. His hands came around, gripping Loki’s ass tight and the god moaned as he thrust deeper into Sam’s mouth. 

Sam would never get enough of tasting Loki like this. It was almost as amazing as being fucked by him. When Sam could feel Loki getting close, he started sucking harder and faster, already craving what he knew was coming and there it was. He swallowed the thick, warm, salty liquid greedily and didn’t stop when it was done. He wanted more. Loki apparently had other ideas. “Go lay on the altar, Sam.”

Sam did as he was told but hesitated a moment before opening his legs to Loki and the god arched an eyebrow at him curiously. “Do you think…you could maybe…prep me? Just a little bit?” he asked hopefully. 

“Spread your legs, Sam,” Loki told him without answering his question and when Sam didn’t hesitate to do so, he decided to reward him and do as he asked. He had no idea why he was being so soft with his new priest, but it hardly hurt him any. Unless he considered having to wait before entering him. He knelt on the altar between Sam’s legs and slid his hand down, pressing one finger inside his priest and Sam moaned. “Will you bleed for your god, Sam?” he asked. If he was going to be holding himself back, then he was going to get something out of it at least. 

“Yes, Loki. Always, my god,” Sam gasped out before giving a little hiss of pain as Loki’s sharp fingernail raked over his chest and Loki leaned down to lick over the wound before latching his mouth onto it and inserting a second finger into Sam’s tight hole and running his finger over the other side of Sam’s chest, giving him some blood to play in too and Sam immediately pressed his hand into it and began to rub it over Loki who moaned in pleasure as he scissored his fingers loosening Sam up. It wasn’t long before he couldn’t hold himself back anymore and Sam had said ‘just a little bit’ and he had done that. He still slid in slowly though in deference to Sam’s feelings, still having no idea why he was being so gentle, but just deciding to go with it. 

No sooner than he was fully seated, he hadn’t even managed to move yet when Sam blew, completely untouched and Loki let out a stuttered moan as the tight heat clenched around him, nearly bringing him to completion already again, but not quite. He moved his hand into the mess on Sam’s stomach and chest and licked it off sensually as Sam’s blood-soaked hands continued to roam over every inch of Loki’s body they could reach and the priest picked up his litany of worship as Loki drove into him harder and faster. Sam had just gotten fully hard again when Loki spilled over, closing his lips around Sam’s bloody fingers. 

Loki leaned back over, licking the spilled and smeared blood from Sam’s body before latching his mouth onto one of the wounds and sucking in a mouthful. “Oh yes, Loki. More, Loki. Please, Loki,” Sam chanted as he lifted his hips looking for more, but much to his annoyance, Loki slowed down. He wasn’t ready for Sam to cum again yet. He kept up the slow pace until he felt his priest pulling back from the edge and then he sped up again, hoping to bring them to completion at the same time. This time when he felt Sam getting close again, he was almost there too, so he reached down to stroke Sam in time with his thrusts and when Sam came over his hand, it pulled Loki’s orgasm from him as well, and Loki cleaned Sam with his tongue as he came down from the high. 

Once Sam was clean, Loki reminded him, “Make sure you’re ready to go at sunup tomorrow and wear the ceremonial robes, not the casual ones,” before he disappeared. Sam sighed in disappointment even though he couldn’t quite figure out why he was disappointed and just lay there for a little while trying to hold onto the feelings of Loki moving inside of him before he got up and headed to his room, grabbing the robe along the way, but not bothering to put it back on. He barely remembered to set the alarm on his phone before he collapsed, naked, in his bed. 

Loki came to get him the next morning and looked him over appraisingly for a moment before he nodded. “Do we need to go over the rules again?” he asked. 

“No. I got it,” Sam told him resisting the urge to roll his eyes. It wasn’t like it was difficult to remember. It didn’t dawn on him that this was the first time Loki had taken a high priest to the assembly in a thousand years and the god might actually be a bit nervous. Especially since said high priest was the entire reason they were on the verge of war with heaven in the first place. 

When they arrived in a grand entrance hall, Sam fell a step behind Loki as was his place and they headed into the meeting room. Sam managed to restrain himself from staring at all the gods sitting around the table. He assumed introductions wouldn’t be in order since the only new people here would be the priests and priestesses and they weren’t worth getting introductions. He could only guess that the man at the head of the table with the long beard and only one eye was Odin. The rest he had no idea. “Well, Loki. You called this summit. Why are we here?” Odin asked. 

“My new high priest is being hunted by heaven and hell,” Loki told him, not noticing the appraising look from Baldr. In fact, he generally tried to avoid noticing anything about Baldr, including his existence. “I have managed to talk hell down, but I suspect that heaven will not be so easily dissuaded.”

“And why are they after your priest?” Vor asked curiously. 

“Because he is apparently important in some way to their plans for the apocalypse,” Loki said intentionally making it seem as if he had no idea without actually lying to them which they would be able to tell a mile away. 

“Perhaps you should have exercised caution before making him your priest,” Snotra said, not hiding her annoyance. The goddess of prudence was naturally at odds with the god of chaos and mischief and never passed up an opportunity to prove it. Loki would normally make a prude comment, but the fact that she was right this time stopped him. 

“No, it is good that he claimed his priest,” Baldr interjected and Loki’s head snapped up to look at him in shock even as he said. “Lofn, Freyja? Do you concur?” The goddesses he asked told Loki exactly what he was thinking and he narrowed his eyes at the god of love and beauty even as the goddess of love and war and the goddess of forbidden love scrutinized him and his priest. 

After a moment, Lofn said, “I concur.” 

It was quickly echoed by Freyja’s, “As do I.”

“Very well then,” Odin took control. “We will support Loki’s claim on his new priest.” No one dared argue with him even if some may have wanted to. Once Odin decided on something, there was no more room for discussion. 

Despite the verdict in his favor this time, Loki’s mood was dark. He knew what they were implying, and they were way off the mark. Baldr resisted the urge to smirk at Loki. As much fun as it was to rile him up, truth was he was happy for the god. Loki’d had a heart of ice for as long as any of them had known him. He’d had fondness for his followers, perhaps even some sort of attachment to his priests and priestesses, but nothing more than that, and even that stopped after his colony was destroyed. If this human could thaw Loki’s heart, they would all be the better for it. It wouldn’t be like he would be the first god to fall in love with a high priest. Even Odin had bound his high priestess’s soul to him for eternity and she had been serving him going on four hundred years now. Not that Loki and his priest’s bond was that far. Neither quite loved the other yet, but the priest was close, and Loki definitely felt more than a fond attachment, though it was still far from love. The possibility was there though. That was the important thing. Winding Loki up was just a bonus.


	11. Chapter 11

Now that the first issue was settled, talk turned to the next step. “So we will have heaven at our doorstep before long. Can we stand against them?” Bragi asked. 

“You would have us cower from battle?” Tyr asked disgustedly, echoed by all of the battle gods. 

“We will not cower,” Odin said holding his hand up for silence. “But Bragi is correct in that we cannot stand against them alone. They are attempting to take an anointed priest from his chosen god. The other pantheons will stand with us. We must see who else we can win to our side.”

“I will treat with the Valkyrie and the Harpies,” Freyja offered. She had long been made an honorary Valkyr after bringing aid to their war camp. They would make formidable allies. And where their Valkyr sisters went, the harpies followed.

“I will treat with the giants,” her brother Freyr offered. He had spent a great deal of time among the giants in his youth and was still welcomed among them. 

“I will treat with the Fey,” Meili said. 

“And I with the Jotun,” Ullr added. 

Within minutes they also had envoys to the dwarves, the elves, the siddhe, and the imps. The imps and the Siddhe would be the most difficult to get on their side since they were in tighter pacts with hell. They had high hopes for the rest though and Odin ended the conversation with, “And I, of course, will treat with the other pagan people’s. We will be a match for heaven when they come and perhaps our might will help us to avoid a full war.” Odin may have been a god of war, but he was also a god of wisdom, which tempered his zeal for battle. That wisdom told him that in a full war with heaven there would be no winners. Only those who lost the least. 

From there the conversation turned to battle tactics and lasted long into the night. It was nearly midnight by the time Loki returned Sam to the temple and the priest was already struggling to stay awake. He had mostly been ignored the entire time, save when the priests had been sent to retrieve food and drinks for their gods. He had noticed a few appraising looks, but he chalked those up to him being new. From what he had gathered during the little chatter between the priests while they were in the kitchen, he was the only new face. The others had been with their gods for many years. 

Before Loki left though, he had one question. “Why did they say it was a good thing that I was your priest? I would think given the trouble it caused…”

“Because they are meddling fools who have no idea what they’re talking about,” Loki snapped. 

“What do you…”

“Drop it, Sam,” he ordered, and the priest snapped his mouth shut. Loki had never spoken so harshly to him so whatever it was he clearly didn’t want to talk about it and Sam had no way to make him despite the fact that it made his curiosity burn even brighter. Not that he would have gotten a chance to try given that Loki disappeared afterwards, and Sam frowned in confusion. He hadn’t even tried to sleep with him which was odd for Loki. He didn’t have much time to worry about it, because he quickly collapsed into his bed and was fast asleep. 

Loki reappeared at the top of Mt. Everest, looking over the horizon as his inner turmoil bubbled to the surface. They were wrong. They had to be wrong. He knew that he didn’t love Sam. He COULDN’T love Sam. He couldn’t love anyone. Not anymore. He knew better than to allow such weaknesses. He’d learned that the hard way when he left…when he left the place he was before. He didn’t feel anymore. He’d made sure of that. Then what did they see? What did they know that he didn’t? He ran a frustrated hand through his hair as he considered what he could do now. Cutting Sam loose wasn’t an option. Only the priest could break the bond between them, whether with words or with betrayal. 

Maybe he could make Sam hate him enough to sever the bond. The uncomfortable pang in his chest clued him in on what they saw. They didn’t see love. They saw the potential, and Loki vowed that it was a potential that would forever be unfulfilled. He knew that he could never make Sam forsake him now though. He knew enough about his priest to know that once he committed to a course of action he didn’t give up for anything. He’d seen that in the way that he’d taken the people of the community to his heart. He was stubborn, and Loki and the community was all he had left after he sacrificed his brother and he would lose both if he did that. Not to mention that Sam now knew that forsaking Loki would bring about the apocalypse. No, it didn’t matter what Loki did, Sam wasn’t going to go anywhere.

Maybe he could keep him from getting attached. He thought that he was doing a pretty good job of it so far, but he could do better. He could stop indulging him when he asked for things like gentleness and care. He could shut him down more firmly when he tried silly things like kissing him. He could make sure their relationship was only business, and sex was part of that business. Perhaps he should even restrict the sex to the full moon ceremonies. No. Not yet. If he noticed that his current measures weren’t working, he could always go there, but the power he got, even away from the full moon, was too enticing to give up unless he had to. Yes. That was a good plan. Keep his distance and keep Sam from getting attached, and then he could keep himself from getting attached too. 

 

It was nearly mid-day before Sam woke up and stretched loudly. He wrinkled his nose when he realized that he had gone to sleep in his ceremonial robes. Thankfully he still had two more sets because he would need them over the next week. Tomorrow the temple would be open for the public and three days after that was the dark moon service that he still had to plan. He decided to get tomorrow over with first before he got into that though and he pulled himself out of bed, making for a nice hot shower and after a hearty breakfast/lunch, he decided to spend the afternoon in the village spending time with the people. He had been there once again after his confused first visit and it was a nice afternoon. Everyone was very kind and welcoming. He still couldn’t get them to stop bowing to him though, but baby steps. 

He was invited to share dinner with Runa’s family and graciously accepted, meeting her daughter, son-in-law, and two young grandchildren during the meal before he headed back up to the temple. Her son-in-law Agnarr offered to take him by cart since the sun was already down and the temperature was dropping steadily, but Sam declined. He was no stranger to cold, and it wouldn’t get that far below freezing during the summer. A good brisk walk would do him some good. About halfway there, he was kicking himself for declining the offer as he was shivering from the cold, but he soldiered on, thinking of the nice warm temple that he would be in soon. 

As he finally reached his destination and closed the doors behind him, warding off the chill, he resolved to at least bring his hat and gloves with him next time he went into town in case he ended up staying after nightfall again. He entered his apartment and stoked the fire that had almost completely died down in the time that he was gone. It was still giving off enough warmth to make it much warmer in here than it was outside and by the time he started to find that chilly again, it would be roaring so he wasn’t too concerned about it. He got his computer and brought it into the sitting room deciding to do a little research on what had happened at the summit yesterday. The main thing on his mind what whatever it was that Loki didn’t want to talk about, so he started by looking up the names of the two goddesses that he knew were in on the discussion about whether it was a good thing. He hadn’t caught the name of the god who made the initial assertion, but hopefully what he had would at least give him some idea. 

He searched Freyja first and found that she was a goddess of war and love. Perhaps she thought it was a good thing because it would bring war? She didn’t seem that bloodthirsty though. Maybe the second would give him a better clue so he searched Lofn and then felt his heart stop. The goddess of forbidden love. Love. That was what they had in common. But that wasn’t…it couldn’t…did Loki love him? No. Not likely. Then did he love Loki? He didn’t think so. Maybe. He worshipped Loki. He enjoyed sleeping with him. But that wasn’t the same as love. Not real love. Sure, he wished Loki would be around more, but that wasn’t…was it? Could he really be falling in love with Loki?


	12. Chapter 12

Sam still didn’t have an answer by the next morning when he woke with the sun shining in his eyes. He pulled himself out of bed and made a quick breakfast before going to open the main door of the temple. Apparently, everyone here was an early riser because there was already a large group waiting and when he opened the door they all filed in. He returned to the front, where he had his parchment and quill sitting as he watched the line file in and stop at the altar, most cutting their hands open and placing them on the altar as they bowed their heads in what Sam could only assume was prayer. As they finished, they made their way to Sam with the requests that they would like relayed to Loki. Most of them were simple. Things that he would expect people to ask for. Good harvest, blessings on children, a few had sick family members they hoped for a miracle for. All in all, there was nothing here that he wouldn’t pass on to Loki. He supposed that as they got more used to Loki being available again, the requests may get more frivolous, but they wanted to get the big stuff out of the way first. 

By the end of the day, he was exhausted. He would call Loki tomorrow. He locked the doors at sundown and fell into his bed. The next morning after breakfast, he called Loki. “I’m guessing you opened the temple yesterday?” Loki surmised as he arrived. 

“How did you know?” Sam asked curiously. 

“I had a pretty big power boost going most of the day,” Loki said with a shrug. “So what kind of requests do I have?” 

“Do you want the list, or do you want me to tell you?” Sam asked. 

“Give me an overview and then give me the list,” Loki told him. 

“Okay, pretty much everyone wants a good harvest,” Sam started. 

“That’s a given,” Loki nodded. 

“Blessings for their children.”

“Also a given.”

“And six people have terminally ill family members that are in need of a miracle,” Sam told him. 

“Any of them elderly?” Loki asked. 

“Just one.”

“I’ll hit the other five then. I can’t and won’t interfere in the end of someone’s natural life,” he said holding out his hand for the list. 

“Fair enough,” Sam said with a nod handing over the list. 

“Well I better get to work,” Loki told him as he disappeared. 

Sam couldn’t help the sad sigh that escaped him. He wished Loki would just stick around and chat sometimes. Holy fuck. He was falling for Loki. This was a freaking nightmare. He put his head in his hands as he groaned. 

It was two days later and only one day before the dark moon service, that Sam saw Loki again. Sam was sitting at his table eating his dinner when Loki appeared and said, “I’ve finished all the requests. I went ahead and renewed the blessings on everyone since the carryover from their ancestors was getting very weak. Thankfully I’ll never need to do that all at once again,” he said wearily. 

“Are you okay?” Sam asked concerned. “You could have spread it out a little more.”

“People don’t expect to be kept waiting for miracles, Sam,” Loki pointed out. “It would have been a little easier on me if you had started this back up closer to the full moon though.”

“Do you need a power boost?” Sam asked feeling his groin already tighten at the thought. 

“That IS why I’m here,” Loki told him, jerking his head for Sam to follow as they headed into the worship hall. Loki had just opened his mouth to tell Sam to take off his clothes when he saw that his priest already had, and he smirked. Yes, Sam could definitely be trained. And he was already rock hard, even. Loki made a quick circuit around Sam before ordering him to his knees and undoing his pants. He moaned as Sam took him eagerly in his mouth and it wasn’t long before he was fucking Sam’s mouth furiously as he could feel the power building. “Go lay down on the altar, Sam,” Loki told him after he had spilled himself down his throat. 

Sam did as he was told, spreading his legs, and asked, “Will you…”

“No,” Loki said shortly as he knelt between Sam’s thighs and slid his hard cock into his priest as Sam whimpered a bit in pain. “Worship me, Sam,” he ordered as he started moving slowly in and out of the hunter, not even paying attention to Sam’s flagging erection as the pain started to override the pleasure. Sam began his usual litany that was routine by now, but Loki clapped his hand over Sam’s jaw and squeezed as he pulled him around to look at him. “Mean it,” he growled. 

Sam bit his lip and took a deep breath as he centered himself and tried to forget about the pain before starting his litany again and it was apparently good enough because Loki didn’t call him out again. After a few minutes, Sam felt his erection returning and Loki asked, “Will you bleed for your god, Sam?” 

“Yes, Loki. Always,” Sam answered automatically and then hissed as Loki’s fingernail seemed to go deeper than usual. At least than was usual when he was in his right mind anyway. Loki pressed his mouth over the cut even as he opened one on the other side, and Sam screwed up his face against the pain even as he did what was expected of him and ran his hand through the blood welling up and began to smear it over the god’s body. He could feel Loki’s breathing speed up along with his pace and Sam knew that he wasn’t going to get off this time. 

Loki sat up on his knees. He could tell that Sam wasn’t really close, but he wasn’t holding himself back any longer. Sam’s bloody hand went to his lips and he quickly sucked the fingers in as he slammed harder and faster until he spilled over with a stuttered moan. He returned his lips to the seeping wound as Sam’s hands returned to his body. Sam was at least hard again now. The next time he felt himself getting close, Sam was right there with him and he got up on his knees and stroked Sam through his release before he spilled over himself, not noticing the tears starting to leak from Sam’s even as he came, and the tight hole constricted around him. 

It wasn’t until he pulled out to clean up Sam’s body that he noticed the blood coating his cock and barely stopped himself before he winced. Perhaps he had gone a little too far in an effort to distance himself. He hadn’t realized that he had torn him. No wonder Sam was having trouble enjoying it. He wouldn’t apologize. He was a god after all, and he had some pride. He could fix it though. Even as he licked up the blood and cum coating the hunter, one of his hands massaged his asshole, fixing the damage he’d done in his haste and he could see Sam starting to relax under his ministrations. When Sam was clean and his hole was repaired, Loki decided he needed to make up for some of the power he had spent in the healing. This time, though, he used a generous amount of lube and went slow, immediately seeing the difference in Sam’s features as he was actually enjoying it this time. It was no time at all before Sam was hard again and Loki returned to the blood and Sam’s hands were now eagerly roaming over his body, spreading blood in their wake and this time when Sam came over Loki’s hand it was with a moan rather than a whimper, and Loki spilled himself one more time even as he was already licking off what Sam had spilled. 

Once Sam was clean again, Loki asked, “Are you holding a service tomorrow night?” 

“I was planning on it,” Sam told him hesitantly. 

“Good,” Loki said as he disappeared.


	13. Chapter 13

Sam stumbled back to his room and fell into bed, lying there awake for a while as he considered what had happened. Loki was so much colder than he usually was, not that he was ever exactly warm, per se. Maybe it was just a matter of being cranky because he was low on power. Maybe it was because Sam hadn’t done anything to get him more priests and priestesses to increase his power more. That might be it. As much as he hated the idea, Loki needed more than just him. He would spread the word after tomorrow night’s ceremony. He had the brief idea to change one of the prayers he had planned for the service, but sleep claimed him before he got a chance to. 

Most of the next day was spent preparing for the ceremony. He was glad that he had plenty of experience with lack of sleep, since he was woken with the sun again and wouldn’t be going to bed until after sunup the next morning. He bustled around, making sure the fireplaces on either side of the hall were ready to be lit, setting up the candles that would supposedly burn all night, arranging the prayers he had planned and finding the one he wanted to add. He ate an early dinner in time to open the main doors of the temple about an hour before the sun started to set. There were already a few people waiting, but most would arrive closer to sundown. After letting them in, he lit the fires in the fireplace for warmth. He wouldn’t be lighting the candles until the start of the service though. 

He mingled with the people as they arrived and as the sky outside turned black, he closed the main doors and returned to the front, stopping at the fireplace to light the small torch that he would light the candles with as well as the large torches along the walls. It was ten minutes later that he stood on the dais and began the first prayer, with the people repeating each line after him.  
“O Son of Leafy Isle  
and Ever-Biting Sky  
I pray You hear this little prayer  
Where ‘ere You may reside

I pray You know Your Holy Name  
Rests on lips of me and mine;  
That always is there a place  
When ‘ere You come to dine

I pray You know that somewhere  
Some will call You friend  
That my children know Your deeds  
And know where ‘ere You’ve been

I pray that You can see  
The offerings left outside  
That some carry love for You  
A love we will not hide

I pray that You can hear  
The songs that we sing  
In praise of You, O Flaming Hair  
In our small gatherings

I pray that You can feel, Loki  
The love and trust and pride  
For counting You among our Gods  
In You, our prayers abide

Hail unto the Fiery One  
To Hag and Aesir Bride  
Hail unto Your Beloved Kin  
Your family and Your lines

Hail to You Ever-Changing  
To all Your blessings known  
To Wyrd that You have made with us  
To Wyrd that will be wove

My Ancestors have spoke Your Name  
My heart knows but this:  
My kith and kin are blessed by You  
Because You do exist

Please hear this prayer I pray, Loki  
Trickster, Fire, and Friend  
We shall hail and praise Your Name  
Beyond Yggdrasil’s End”

 

After the opening prayer, Sam walked over to the altar, pulling a deep cut in his palm and placing it to the altar. “I worship you, Loki. With every breath of my life,” he intoned as his blood pooled beneath his hand. As he stepped away, the people all lined up to do the same. Once the parade had ended, Sam returned to the front to say the prayer that he had added.  
“I love you powerful, and I love you powerless  
I love you young as flame, and I love you decrepit as the dying ember  
I love you in your beauty, and I love you in your hideousness  
I love you in your greatness, and I love you in your meanness  
I love you kind, and I love you cruel  
I love you changing, and I love you changeless  
I love you sane, and I love you mad  
I love the force that drives you, and I will love you if you lose it  
Because I love you, show me how to love you.”

 

The people, once again, repeated every word back to him, and Sam couldn’t help the feeling that it meant more to him than it did to them. Oh, he didn’t doubt their devotion. Not in the slightest, but their devotion was to the god. To the larger than life being that they worshiped. Sam’s devotion was to the god yes, but also to the man. To the man who let show just a hint of his vulnerability when he talked about how he lost his people. To the man who worked himself to the bone to give them everything they needed. To the man who saved him and took him in when he had nothing and no one. The man who was taking on heaven and hell to save the world. Even the man who was too rough and too cold sometimes. That was who he loved. He loved the god yes. He worshipped the god. But he also loved the man, and as he said the words it was as if complete clarity washed over him and he could see it all. 

Once more, he moved to the altar, cutting his other hand and repeating the same words he had before. “I worship you, Loki. With every breath of my life.” He closed his eyes as he willed Loki to feel it. To take the power from his worship and his love before he stepped back and let the people do the same, before he began the next prayer. The small window at the back of the temple, just behind Sam, was perfectly positioned to catch the rising sun, likely for this purpose and before Sam released everyone he said, “Loki is looking for new priests and priestesses. If you would like to become one, and are still pure, arrive here at midday tomorrow,” he told them. He would work up a short list for Loki and then call him down for final approval. 

Once everyone had filed out, Sam grabbed a pastry to kill the hunger pains before he fell into his bed. He didn’t wake up until midafternoon. The next day when people began arriving, Sam immediately turned away the children, but he found there was a slight problem. The people here had no concept of time really. They didn’t mark age so the ones who were older, still had no idea how old they were. The closest he could to an answer was that they were fully matured. The ones that still looked too young, were sent away, but the rest he would have to leave for Loki to figure out. 

After some conversation about what they could expect should they be selected, basically the sex and the blood, as well as the fact that Loki would have to give permission for them to marry or even be with anyone else, he gave them the option to change their minds. Only a few did, and he was left with eleven prospects. He spent the remainder of the afternoon chatting with them and even invited them into his apartment to share dinner in an effort to get to know them better. He knew that he would be expected to choose a successor as well, and though they weren’t nearly to that point yet, he still wanted to get as much of a head start as he could. 

The population of the island was around two thousand, Sam had learned so if there were ten priests and priestesses, that would be one for every two hundred people. When they made for their homes at nightfall, Sam told them to return at midday the next day and when they did he called Loki down. He knew that he had to set an example, so he took a knee as Loki appeared, and they all did the same, looking up at him with awe and reverence. “I have called you here to consider these people as priests and priestesses,” he said formally. 

“Rise,” he said and all twelve people in the room did so immediately and Loki walked over to the line. He stepped up to each person, cupping their jaw and turning their head up to look into their eyes. Sam wondered if he was reading their minds. After each one, he nodded until he got to the forth and he looked at her gently. “You have barely blossomed, child. Return in a few years if you still wish to be considered,” he told her, ignoring the tears in her eyes. At least he didn’t outright reject her. He doubted that he would need new servants in a few years, but he didn’t tell her that. He continued with his inspection, everyone else getting nods until the last person in line. After a moment of eye contact he tilted his head curiously. “You don’t wish to be here,” he said with surety. 

The boy hung his head in shame. “My mother wanted me to become a priest,” he said softly. 

“Go home, child. I have no need for anyone who is not willing,” Loki told him. When he saw the boy flinch back from him he softened his tone. “Being a priest is not for everyone. It does not make your worship any less valid.” The boy nodded and made his way out the door before Loki waved a hand and the doors closed and locked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> neither of the prayers were written by me. The first was found at http://www.northernpaganism.org/shrines/loki/writings-for-loki/prayer-to-loki.html and the second at https://bloodteethandflame.com/2017/07/01/month-for-loki-first-prayer/


	14. Chapter 14

Loki first moved to Sam. If he was to oversee other priests now, he needed to be marked as above them. He began by saying, “You have bleed for your god. You have sacrificed for your god, but will you endure for your god?”

There was only one right answer here, and Sam immediately said, “Yes, Loki. Always.” He wasn’t quite as sure about his answer as he would have been a few days ago and wasn’t sure what to think about whatever was coming, but he felt more than a little fear. 

“Take off your clothes, Sam,” Loki ordered and Sam sucked in a sharp breath. Only the fact that he was supposed to be setting a good example for the new recruits had him obeying the order without protest, though he couldn’t stop the bright blush that spread over most of his body as he took his clothes off in front of them. “Kneel, Sam.” Sam took a deep breath as he knelt, and when he didn’t see Loki’s hands going to his pants he wondered where this was going. Loki walked around behind him and splayed a hand over the center of his back and Sam barely managed to bite back his cry of pain as his back suddenly felt like it was on fire. 

It felt like an hour, but in reality was less than a minute before Loki pulled his hand away and stepped back to look at the large tattoo of his sigil spread over Sam’s back that was to the new recruits. Loki walked around in front of Sam, seeing the tears streaming down his cheeks and impressed that his high priest hadn’t made a sound. He unconsciously reached out his hands to Sam’s face, using his thumbs to wipe away the tears, before moving one of his hands farther back to Sam’s ear pulling the lobe between his thumb and forefinger, leaving a gold earring of his sigil behind. Sam barely felt that one over the pain in his back that was still easing. “Stand, Sam,” Loki told him before turning him to face the new recruits, still naked. 

He left him there as he walked over to them and said, “Take your clothes off,” making it clear that he meant everyone, and they all quickly disrobed. Loki’s cock was already stirring as he watched their obedience and the young nubile bodies that were bared to him. Most blushing brightly, but none hesitating. He took his time, walking around the line, letting his fingers reach out and trace their bodies as he considered which to start with finally stopping at a young woman and looking into her eyes as he said, “Go lay down on the altar,” and she rushed to do so. “Spread your legs for me,” he told her and her blush deepened as she did as she was told. 

Loki’s clothes disappeared as knelt between her legs and the god could feel her heart nearly beating out of her chest with both fear and excitement as he positioned himself at her entrance pausing for a moment before plunging in with a moan as his eyes began to glow. He raked a fingernail over his wrist and put it to her lips. “Drink,” he said, and she did so through her tears as the god above her stilled to give her a chance to adjust. He pulled his wrist away quickly though, only letting her get enough to bind her to him before he opened his eyes and looked deeply into hers, glow burning brighter as he began to move within her. “Will you bleed for your god?” he asked. 

“Yes, Loki,” she breathed out getting more pleasure than pain now and only let out a slight whimper when Loki’s fingernail trailed across her shoulder and Loki leaned down to drink as he moved faster within her. 

Sam watched both with lust, glad that he was finally able to see Loki’s body, and seeing him move like that was incredibly hot, but he also now recognized that burning feeling in the pit of his stomach as jealousy. He was very careful not to show it though. He knew that it wouldn’t matter. This was who Loki was. He had no right to interfere with that. 

The girl cried out as she felt her release wash over her and Loki spilled himself inside her at the same time, trailing his tongue once more over the cut on her shoulder sealing it closed before telling her to go stand beside Sam and calling for the next person to come lay down on the altar and quickly placed his wrist over their mouth so that he could open his eyes and see what he was doing. He had purposely positioned the line behind him so he didn’t have to worry about them. When he pulled his wrist away he opened his eyes, ignoring the gasp from the boy below him at the solid gold glow coming from them. “Spread your legs,” he told the boy who immediately did so and Loki slicked his cock up generously, learning from his last experience with Sam, and slid into the boy slowly, pausing once he was fully seated to give him a chance to adjust. “Will you bleed for your god?” Loki asked. 

“Yes, Loki,” he said shakily and Loki immediately swiped a fingernail over his shoulder and began to drink as he started to move. He waited until he could feel him responding before he picked up the pace and when he felt him getting close, the god sat up on his knees, reaching down to stroke him to his release which pulled Loki’s own from him. The god paused long enough to lick his hand clean and then take what was left on his chest and stomach as well, giving him a chance to recover before he waved him over to Sam and the first girl and called for the next. 

Once he pulled his wrist away again he saw another of the girls beneath him. “Spread your legs,” he told her and he could almost see the moisture dripping there as he positioned himself and slammed in. He gave her a moment to reign her tears in at the loss of her hymen, taking the opportunity to ask her to bleed for him and begin to drink before he started moving. It continued down the line until he had claimed all nine of his new priests and priestesses and then he turned to look at Sam. He could see the high priest’s erection jutting out and the wet spot on the floor below it from everything he had leaked. Some of the other boys were also sporting erections after the show, but he had already pleasured them. “Come, Sam,” he said and Sam was beyond embarrassment by now at what was about to happen in front of the other priests and priestesses. 

Sam immediately climbed on the altar and spread his legs, feeling like he would cum at the slightest touch right now. Loki slid his slick cock in slowly. After each time they were together, he would heal Sam enough that he would stay tight, but not as tight as he still had been when he was a virgin so it was easier for him to take than the virgin boys he had deflowered here today. “Will you bleed for your god, Sam?” he asked. 

“Yes, Loki. Always,” he said breathlessly letting out a moan as Loki’s stomach rubbed against his aching cock as he leaned forward to drink. Sam knew the drill, so Loki pulled another cut on the other side of his chest and Sam gathered the blood in his hand, showing the new recruits what Loki liked as he smeared the blood over the gods face and neck before moving to the rest of his body. Loki was so sensitive by this point that it didn’t take him long at all before he was teetering on the edge, and the pleasure of having an audience just made it even more so, and he sat up on his knees, taking Sam’s cock in his hand and stroking him just as hard and fast as he was pounding into him. He sucked Sam’s blood-soaked fingers into his mouth just as Sam spilled over with a cry and Loki slammed in a few more times before his own orgasm was pulled from him. The god sensually licked his hand clean before he pulled out and set to licking the rest of the mess of semen and blood from Sam’s body. 

Once that was done, he replaced his clothes, not telling the others to yet, as he turned to them. “You will all find robes in your wardrobes, girls to the left, boys to the right. Find your bed and clean up,” he told them, meeting Sam’s eyes for a moment before he disappeared.


	15. Chapter 15

It took a bit for Sam to adjust to not having the temple to himself anymore, but he did still have his apartment to himself. The new priests and priestesses lived in the dormitory apartments at the front of the hall. Each dormitory had a muti stalled bathroom with showers, a kitchen and dining are, and a large sitting area off of it as well. They managed to settle into a routine eventually. Three nights a week they all had dinner together and spent the evening together. Sam hosted on Saturdays after the open worship day. He always made sure his phone and computer were in his bedroom and the door blocking his washing machine from view was always closed. 

Loki had come to enjoy Sam about twice a week, and they would often get walked in on. When they did, Loki offered whoever walked in the option of a turn as well and they almost always took him up on it while Sam watched, forcing down the jealousy that bubbled up every time. He knew that walking away and sitting in his apartment while he wondered what was going on out there would be worse though, so he endured. Loki did always end with Sam though and he wondered if it was because he was the high priest and thus above the station of the others. Sam had noticed, at least to his knowledge, he was the only one that Loki came to. The others were just an afterthought when they showed up. Unfortunately, Loki was still just as cold as he had been before, but he hadn’t crossed the line into cruel again and Sam wanted something to give. 

After the full moon ceremony, during which Loki sealed the doors, giving them full privacy as he pounded into his high priest from sundown to sunup while the incense was permeating the hall, Sam had decided that enough was enough. The next time Loki came, he decided to have a conversation with him. “Why have you been so cold lately?” he asked. 

“What do you mean?” Loki asked in return, playing dumb.

“Ever since the summit with the other gods, you’ve been colder. More distant,” Sam told him before taking a deep breath and getting up the nerve to ask what he really wanted to know. “Is it because…because they made you realize that I…that I love you?” 

“I’m your god. Of course, you love me,” Loki told him trying to talk him down from the course of action he was setting himself on. 

“Yes, I love you as my god, but I…I also love you as more than that,” Sam told him, ignoring the way his heart was threatening to beat out of his chest. He needed to get this into the open.

“No, Sam. You don’t,” Loki said warningly, now desperate to derail this train before it went any further. 

Sam ignored the dangerous tone, and said, “Yes, Loki. I do.” 

Sam was caught off guard when he suddenly found himself slammed against the wall, Loki’s hands fisted in his shirt and a very dangerous look on his face. “Are you arguing with your god?” he snarled. 

Sam closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths as he recommitted himself to his course of action. “Yes. I am.”

“Do you know the punishment for arguing with your god?” Loki snapped irritated. Why the hell couldn’t he just drop this already. 

Sam steeled himself and opened his eyes, looking deep into Loki’s as he said, “I don’t care.” He didn’t care what the punishment was. He would endure it before he took anything back. Perhaps then Loki would see. 

Loki snapped his fingers and they were back in the worship hall and the doors were sealed again and Sam’s arms were chained to the ceiling and his legs to the floor leaving him standing there naked and spread eagled as Loki had a long whip in his hand. He snapped it to the side of Sam, seeing him wince, part as a warning, and part to get himself used to the feel of it again after so long. He had only once in all of history, had to whip one of his priests and didn’t relish having to do it again, so he gave Sam one last chance. “It’s not too late to stop this, Sam.”

“I think it is,” Sam said shakily. Terrified of what was coming, but not willing to do what he had to, to stop it. 

Loki raised his hand with the whip again, ready to send it at Sam’s exposed back as he felt his chest tightening, making it hard to breathe. He tried to ignore it and pull his hand back to snap it anyway, but his hand started shaking so badly he dropped the whip and he doubled over, hand on his knees as he tried to breathe. He got himself together and picked the whip up again, only for the same course of events to take hold before he threw it down and disappeared, releasing Sam and the seals on the doors in the process, and found himself on the top of mount Everest as he let out a frustrated scream, not even noticing that it caused an avalanche. 

The other gods had noticed the avalanche and Loki up there brooding and Lofn drew the short straw to come talk to him. “You wouldn’t be the first god to fall in love with their priest, you know,” she told him as she appeared behind him. 

“You know nothing,” he snapped, not turning around. 

“I know many things, Loki. One thing I don’t know is why you’re so resistant to the idea.”

“Because love is destructive. It’s a weakness and a vulnerability that I have no intention of falling prey to,” he said heatedly, still staring out over the horizon. 

Lofn was not just a goddess of love. She was the goddess of forbidden love. As such, she could recognize the waves of long forgotten agony and new fear rolling off of the god in front of her with that statement. “You have been hurt before,” she surmised. 

“Leave it, Lofn,” he snarled. He actually like Lofn and he didn’t want to hurt her, but if she kept poking around in his head, he wouldn’t be responsible for his actions. 

“Okay. I won’t pry, but I will say this. Do you really think that there would be so many gods and goddesses dedicated to love if it was nothing but a destructive vulnerable weakness?” she asked gently. “I will admit that it can be that. Sometimes. But it can also be the opposite. It can tear you down, but it can also build you up. It can make you weak or it can make you strong. It, like anything else, is what you make of it Loki. Only you can let it destroy you, and denying it…running away from it…will surely destroy you. And everything else you hold dear. Just think about that,” she told him, and then left him alone before she was the first to be destroyed in his denial. 

Loki just scoffed. Of course, it was a weakness. He hadn’t even been able to properly punish his priest for his cheek. Even as he was thinking that the traitorous part of his mind was pointing out the fact that maybe Sam hadn’t really deserved to be punished. What exactly was he going to be punished for? Arguing with him or loving him? Loki paced angrily as Lofn’s words managed to actually find purchase in his mind despite his best efforts. Especially the part about so many gods and goddesses not being dedicated to a weakness. He had never seen another side of it though. He had watched love for humanity tear his family apart. He had felt his love for them tear him apart. He had seen the horrors that humans and beings alike caused and endured in the name of love. How could it not be a weakness? A vulnerability? It had already destroyed him once before and now he was supposed to let it do so again. No way. He refused.


	16. Chapter 16

Sam fell to his knees as the chains disappeared, part in relief for his reprieve, and part because they weren’t holding him up anymore. He took a few deep breaths as he tried to slow his racing heart and calm the adrenaline running through his system before he got to his feet and headed back to his suite before anyone found him there. He put on another robe and plopped down on his couch as he tried to figure out what the hell just happened. Had Loki been testing him? Testing his resolve? But why? Why not stick around after? Why just leave him there like that? It didn’t make any sense. 

Maybe he just wanted to increase the anticipation. Maybe he would be back later to finish the punishment. Maybe part of the punishment was worrying about it until it happened. That made more sense. It definitely explained why he wasn’t given any answers before Loki disappeared. The unknown would just make it worse. Maybe this was the punishment INSTEAD of being whipped. He could hope so, but when did things ever work out that well for him. Even if that was the case, it was working. He was sure he would have nightmares about the crack of that whip tonight and how completely helpless he was against it chained up as he was. He was so involved in sitting there worrying that he didn’t even notice when he missed dinner, nor did he notice he was getting tired and he fell asleep sitting up on the couch. 

 

Loki was no more conscious of time passing than Sam was as he paced on the mountaintop for four days. The only thing that made him realize that time had passed was the influx of power he was getting that told him that it must be a Saturday at the temple. He ran a hand through his hair as his thoughts continued to go in circles. Was it already too late to turn back? Loki remembered the feel of the whip in his hand, and Sam standing there tall and proud, refusing to back down and cower. He remembered how he couldn’t even breathe at the thought of carrying out the action. He remembered the way his hands shook like they refused to even hold the whip. Yeah. It was definitely too late to turn back now. How had he let this happen? Was Lofn right that denying it would destroy him anyway? Wouldn’t she know better than most? Could he really let himself go there though? Could he open up to someone again? He didn’t even think he knew HOW after all these millennia. He wouldn’t even know where to begin. 

The sun was coming up again before he had the idea that maybe he could start with something mostly familiar. He had no idea where to go from there, but it was a start at least. It was this idea that led him to appearing in Sam’s living area just as his priest was finishing his breakfast. He gave Sam a moment to notice him before he found himself pinned against the wall again. This time wasn’t in anger though, as Loki proved when his lips found Sam’s. The kiss was hard and dominating and yet, Sam sank gratefully into it. It was still more than he usually got. 

Sam’s mind hadn’t even caught up with what was going on yet, before Loki ripped his robe open and snapped his fingers, depositing them in Sam’s bed and the priest’s eyes widened. A bed? This was new. Even more new than the kissing. At least that had happened a couple times before he got the hint that Loki didn’t like it, so what changed? He didn’t have a chance to consider that thought before Loki’s tongue was shoving into his mouth and Sam suddenly didn’t give a crap right now. His hands moved to open Loki’s shirt, hoping against hope that he would be permitted this. That it wasn’t going to end now. 

As he slid the shirt off the god’s shoulders he had to pull his lips away so he could breathe, but he didn’t go far as he started kissing and sucking over Loki’s neck and the god gave a needy whimper before Sam’s hands went to his pants and began trying to untie them. Loki could tell he was just making more of a mess in his haste and they were likely all tangled now so he just snapped his fingers and made them disappear. Loki nudged Sam’s knees with his own and Sam gladly opened his legs as their hard cocks slid over each other and Sam’s lips found their way back to Loki’s just as he felt a finger prodding at his entrance. He moaned into the kiss as Loki’s finger pressed inside him and his hands roamed over the god’s body, this time without the blood on them. 

Next time Sam needed to breathe, Loki decided to follow his lead and try to do what he’d done and moved his lips to Sam’s neck sucking and biting at the soft skin there as he tried to hold himself back from making Sam bleed. This time wasn’t about that. He slid a second finger in as Sam’s large hand wrapped around both of their cocks and began to stroke slowly. Loki wasn’t sure how much longer he would be able to hold back so he finished prepping his priest quickly before lining himself up and sliding in slowly with a low moan. He opened his eyes and looked at Sam, eyes glowing dimly due to the lack of the altar and blood, but he was still getting something from this, little as it was. Sam’s kiss swollen lips and the light trail of bite marks and hickeys dotting his neck, just drove Loki higher and he leaned down to capture Sam’s lips again as he started to move in him. 

Sam lifted his hips with every push of Loki’s and part of him wished this never had to end. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy the sex they usually had, but this was just…so much more, and he didn’t know when he would get lucky enough to do this again. Alas, it couldn’t last forever, and much sooner than Sam liked, he could feel himself getting close. Loki just reached between them, unwilling or unable to remove his lips from Sam’s neck to sit up, and he stroked Sam as he picked up his own pace to a fever pitch until he was emptying himself in Sam’s ass, while Sam was coming over Loki’s hand. 

Loki closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against Sam’s shoulder for a moment as he caught his breath. Like Sam, he also recognized that it had been so much ‘more’ than ever before and it made him more than a little uncomfortable underneath all the bliss on the surface. He was pulled from his reverie when Sam said, almost cautiously, “That was different.” That was the end of Loki’s endurance and he disappeared on the spot causing Sam to shift uncomfortably at being abruptly empty like that. 

Loki reappeared back in his usual thinking spot at the top of Mt. Everest and slumped over to sit in the snow, putting his head in his hands as he tried to figure out just what the hell he was actually feeling right now. He couldn’t deny it anymore if he wanted to. He loved Sam. That much was a given, but fuck, that had been intense. It was almost like he could feel his walls falling away and he was scared. No, scared wasn’t even the right word for it. He was petrified. He didn’t know if he could do this. If he didn’t know that gods weren’t subject to panic attacks he would think that he was having one with the way his breath was coming in short pants and his heart was racing and his hands were trembling. Shit. He couldn’t do this.


	17. Chapter 17

Lofn had been keeping an eye out for Loki ever since she first left him. She was worried for him. She, like him, was a bit of an outsider among the gods, given that she essentially helped people to break the rules and as such, felt closer to him than most. As close as he would ever let anyone get, at least. She saw him leave the mountaintop, only to return an hour later in a very precarious mental state. She could feel the terror rolling off of him and knew that there was nothing she could do to help him. Not from his side at least. She could guess what happened. Not specifics of course, but she imagined that he had likely tried to open himself up, at least a little bit, and then panicked. She would bet that his priest was likely quite confused and perhaps even distressed. She doubted that Loki even had any idea HOW to even talk about it much less process it. Perhaps she could ease his way from that side. 

Lofn reappeared on the outer steps of Loki’s temple and rang the bell. A woman she did not recognize came to the door. “I need to speak with the high priest, please,” she told her. 

“Of course. Come in,” the priestess said stepping aside. 

“Thank you, but I will wait out here,” Lofn told her. She knew better than to step foot in his temple. Not only was it forbidden for a god to enter another god’s temple unless they were married, but Loki would sense her the moment she did. She had no intention of letting him know of this visit. Thankfully the priestess didn’t question her, and closed the door as she went to get the high priest. It was a few minutes before the tall man stepped outside, and once again, offered to let her come in. “I cannot,” she told him. “I am Lofn, goddess of forbidden love,” she introduced herself. “And I cannot step into the temple of another god.”

“I…I see,” Sam said nervously wishing he hadn’t stepped out. “Am…Am I going to be punished for loving Loki?” 

“Oh no. Nothing like that. It is not uncommon for a priest to fall in love with his god. Nor is it uncommon for a god to fall in love with his priest. Even if it were against the rules, I would not be the one to punish you for it. I HELP forbidden lovers, not hinder them, and I’m here to help you. Shall we sit?” she asked, knowing that humans were often more comfortable sitting for long conversations. 

Sam nodded, and sat on the top step, despite how cold the stone was and Lofn sat next to him. “How can you help?” Sam asked curiously. 

Lofn knew that she had to walk a fine line here without breaking Loki’s confidence. Not that he had technically confided in her, of course, but it was the principle of the thing. “I am here to tell you a bit about Loki. He has been hurt before. Badly. I don’t know what happened and I wouldn’t tell you if I did. It was long before any of us knew him. His heart was already turned to ice by the time he joined us.”

“You mean he wasn’t always one of you?” Sam asked curiously. 

“No. Odin bonded him as a bloodbrother and brought him into our circle. No one knows where he came from before. He has always been something of an outsider because of that, but he seems to prefer it that way. Even those of us who’ve tried have never been able to get close to him. He had hardened his heart to all but the most basic of affections long before then.”

“But…why?” Sam asked more to himself than to her. 

“He believes that love will destroy him. That it will make him weak and vulnerable. I am here to help you to understand him, and also to ask you…please do not prove him right. Be patient with him.”

“I…I will,” Sam said trying to wrap his head around all the new information. “I promise.”

“Then my work here is done. Goodbye high priest. Perhaps I will see you again one day,” she said as she disappeared from the step leaving Sam lost in thought. Things were making more sense now. Loki’s response to his declaration of love. Leaving before his intended punishment. The slow intense sex in an actual bed. He was trying to open up but didn’t know how. Loki had been a part of mythology since the very beginning so likely since humans found language to pass down stories, which meant that whatever had happened to him was long before that. Possibly even before the existence of humanity. That was a long time to cut himself off. No wonder he was having trouble dealing with it. 

It wasn’t long before Sam felt his ass going numb from the cold stone steps so he got up and headed back to his apartment to continue his thoughts where it was warm. He looked back over every interaction since he had met Loki with new eyes. He saw where Loki had started softening to him before that fateful summit when he snapped back to cold and distant. He couldn’t really see him asking the gods of love about what they’d said which meant that he had drawn his own conclusions, much like Sam had. Only Loki’s were much darker. 

He had come here earlier though and kissed him, though. It was hard and dominating, but it was something. Maybe Loki didn’t know any other kind. Had the god ever even kissed anyone before? Sam knew that he wasn’t a big fan of it, given the way he reacted the two times that Sam kissed him, so it was possible that he hadn’t. Sam only hoped that he would get the opportunity to teach him about all the different ways to kiss someone. It was only fair given that Loki was teaching him so much about sex, and even about himself that he had never imagined. Before Loki he would never have imagined himself being so submissive. He would never have imagined enjoying blood. He would never have imagined even enjoying exhibitionism. Loki was teaching him so much. He could teach Loki how to love. 

First though, he had to get Loki to come back. He realized that in the heat of the moment, he hadn’t spoken to him about the requests from yesterday. That would be a good excuse. Maybe it would be best to give Loki some time. Not let on that anything had changed. Let him get comfortable before pushing anything. He would just tell him about the prayers and let him get to work. He would give Loki a chance to make the next move before he did. 

 

Loki sat on the mountaintop, hugging his knees to his chest. He had finally managed to calm himself at least somewhat and now he was mostly feeling lost. Oh, there was still that undercurrent of pure terror, but he managed to push it to the side enough that he could think around it. He couldn’t remember ever feeling so lost before. He felt a moisture on his cheek and lifted a finger to catch the single tear that rolled down and looked at it curiously even as he felt more follow it. He was crying. He hadn’t cried since…since he left home. Since his family turned on him. That was the last time he had allowed himself to FEEL, even, and the sensation rolled over him as his silent tears turned to sobs. It was as if his emotions were trying to make up for lost time. Or perhaps he was just so unused to them they seemed larger than they were. He buried his face in his arms as the sobs wracked over him. This was too much. He couldn’t take it. He couldn’t…couldn’t do this. He had to shut it off again. If only he could figure out HOW. 

Loki was finally starting to pull himself together, at least externally, when he got Sam’s prayer at midday the next day, asking him to come by, and he felt the terror returning. What did he have to say? Was he going to push this thing further? Was he going to decide that Loki was too much trouble after his abrupt departure and push him away? Loki didn’t even know which he preferred right now. It didn’t even dawn on him until he arrived and Sam pulled out the list to start talking that he could be calling him for something that had nothing to do with them. In fact, if not for the longer than usual glances, Loki could almost forget that anything had happened with them to begin with and he couldn’t help the surge of gratefulness that he felt for that. He didn’t think he could take any more right now.


	18. Chapter 18

It was a few days before Loki came to Sam again. It seemed he was unable to stay away which was just as terrifying as anything else. He decided to try and start a little smaller this time and led Sam into the worship hall and pulled him into a hard kiss, pulling his robe open and shoving it off his shoulders. “On your knees, Sam,” he told him, and Sam complied with a smile. He could see what Loki was doing. The kiss and undressing him were small gestures, but they still counted. Loki undid his pants and pulled his cock out and Sam wasted no time, pulling it into his mouth, despite the fact that Loki wasn’t quite completely hard yet. 

Sam decided to go with the theme of small gestures and while he was sucking Loki off, he slid his hands up under Loki’s shirt and teased over his silky skin. If Loki’s reactions were anything to go by he loved it. Then again, his reactions said that last time too but then he ran. All Sam could do was try and hope he didn’t go too far. Once Loki had spilled himself down Sam’s throat, he pulled back and ran a gentle hand down Sam’s cheek as he said, softer than usual, “Go lay down on the altar, Sam.”

Sam did so, spreading his legs wide and letting Loki take complete control of where things went from here. Loki slid over top of him, and a slick finger prodded at his hole and Sam couldn’t hold back his moan as it slid inside. “Will you bleed for your god, Sam?” 

“Yes, Loki. Always,” Sam said putting far more meaning into it than Loki had intended, and he didn’t miss the hard swallow from the god, and told himself to dial it back a bit. Loki trailed his finger over Sam’s chest, this time kissing as much as licking and sucking as a second finger slid inside him and his other hand opened up a second cut and Sam immediately began rubbing the blood over Loki’s body as the god inserted a third finger and pumped hard a few times before withdrawing them and sliding himself inside with a moan to match Sam’s. 

After they had both cum twice more, and Loki had cleaned Sam up, he rested there on top of him, and Sam’s arms couldn’t resist going around him as the priest bit back the words of love that were on the tip of his tongue. He wasn’t going to say a single word that might end this any sooner. It wasn’t exactly a cuddle, but he suspected it was as close as he would get for a while. As Sam suspected, it didn’t last long before Loki was pulling away, and Sam quickly let go. It had only been a few minutes, but it was enough to give Sam hope. Loki even gave him a quick hard kiss before he disappeared. He didn’t run away this time. He just left. Sam hadn’t realized there was such a big difference until that moment. He let out a happy sigh before he got up off the altar, grabbing his robe and heading back to his rooms. 

Over the next few weeks Loki became more comfortable with the small gestures of affection and decided that he could try again where he started last time. He arrived in Sam’s rooms after lunch and pressed him against the wall kissing him hard, and Sam took the opportunity to do a little teaching. “Wait, Loki,” Sam mumbled against his lips. Loki stopped and took a step back looking at him with a mix of concern and hurt. “Just…try it like this,” Sam said leaning forward and kissing Loki softly. When he licked along his lips, Loki instinctively opened and Sam kissed him slow and sweet, moving one hand to cup Loki’s cheek as the other went to the small of his back to pull him close and when he ended it a moment later, Loki let out a little whimper and tried to follow his lips away. “That’s okay?” Sam asked hopefully, afraid he might have overwhelmed the god with the emotion behind it. 

Sam got his answer when Loki grabbed him and pulled him into another kiss, this one very much like Sam’s. Soft and slow and sweet, and it was pure bliss for them both, even if only one of them would admit it still. Loki led him to the bedroom shortly after and when they were done, Sam took a chance. “Will you stay? Just for a few minutes?” he asked hopefully. 

“Stay for what?” Loki asked confusedly. 

Sam pulled him into an embrace, shifting them so that Loki was pressed against his side, still wrapped in Sam’s arms. “For this?” 

“I-I suppose. For a few minutes,” Loki said hesitantly. The warmth and caring of the gesture washed through him, but it brought the fear with it too and he felt like he was being pulled in two different directions. 

Sam could see the indecision and fought with himself for a moment about what he wanted to say before he decided to just bite the bullet. It might make things worse in this moment, but it could be a good thing in the long run. “It’s okay to be scared, you know. I know I am.” 

Loki pulled away abruptly. “I’m a god. I don’t get scared,” he snapped defensively as he clothed himself and jumped out of the bed before the rest of Sam’s words registered and he stopped just before he disappeared. “You’re scared?” he asked trying to keep the question more curious than vulnerable. 

“Of course, I’m scared,” Sam told him. “Falling in love is always scary. It’s giving someone else the power to hurt you. But it’s also learning to trust them not to.”

“I’ve always had the power to hurt you,” Loki told him as Sam sat up and started to pull his robe back on, not wanting to be lying in bed naked while Loki was standing there fully clothed. 

“Physically, yes. But I think we both know there’s far worse pain than physical,” Sam said gently as he stepped over to Loki and kissed him softly. “I will never hurt you, Loki,” he whispered earnestly and that was the last thing he got out before Loki disappeared. 

Loki reappeared back on the mountaintop and fell to his knees in the snow as he wrapped his arms around his middle as though he was trying to hold himself together. He took a few deep breaths to keep the fear at bay before he could really think about what Sam had said. Learning to trust them not to. Could he do that? Could he really trust Sam with that kind of power over him? He closed his eyes against the tears welling up in them as Sam’s last words rang in his ears. ‘I’ll never hurt you’ he’d said. It wasn’t just the words though. Loki could almost feel the pure emotion coming off of them. The love, the devotion, the longing. He knew that Sam meant it. How could he doubt that? The question was how long would he mean it? How long would it take before Sam turned on him too? 

If that ever happened…no WHEN that happened…stopping the apocalypse would have been pointless. He would end up carrying it out himself. He would destroy everything the way that Sam destroyed him. If Sam ever turned on him he wouldn’t be able to come back from it. He realized then that it was already true. That it didn’t matter if he let himself get any deeper or not. He would already be destroyed if Sam turned on him now. There was no point wondering what would happen if he fell. He had already fallen. He was already in love with Sam and he was screwed either way. He might as well enjoy it while it lasted. 

That was easier said than done though and he just couldn’t make himself go back. He didn’t know what to say or what to do. He had no idea what he was doing here. He was in so far over his head that he wasn’t sure the bottom even existed. How was it that a simple human who’d lived for less than a quarter century could show more wisdom in this than him after his billions of years? He took a deep breath and steeled himself as he decided to let Sam’s wisdom carry this thing until he found his footing and he disappeared, going back to Sam only a couple hours after he’d left, finding him sitting on the couch watching what seemed to be a movie on his laptop. 

Sam noticed the movement out of the corner of his eye and looked up at Loki and the god gave him a rather nervous smile, with a bit of sheepishness thrown in, but didn’t say anything. His body language was practically screaming, ‘I have no idea what to do. Help’ so Sam held out an arm invitingly and raised his eyebrow in hopeful question, and smiled encouragingly as Loki walked over and sat down next to him. “Want to watch a movie with me?” Sam asked as his arm pulled Loki against his side and the god gave a relieved nod, glad that Sam wasn’t asking him to talk. He was still scared, but Sam said that was okay, so he just let himself be scared as he relaxed in Sam’s arms.


	19. Chapter 19

The full moon ceremony a few days later went much the same as usual, just with some kissing thrown in and over the next few weeks Loki could often be found in Sam’s apartment. Oh, they did have sex on the altar regularly, but it was just as often in Sam’s bed. Or on the couch. Or even on the kitchen table once. Now though, Loki stuck around after. He was never much for conversation. Not deep conversation about himself anyway. He was more than happy to pry every secret and embarrassing moment out of Sam though and their light conversation often turned into playful banter and Sam could almost see Loki blooming. They spent long hours curled up on the couch watching movies. They shared many a meal, and Sam was on cloud nine. The only dark moments in his life now were when Loki would take the other priests and priestesses, but he carefully kept his face blank during those times, even though he didn’t have as much control over his body at the sensuality of watching. 

Loki was finding though, that the more time he spent with Sam, the less enjoyment he got out of his other servants. It was to the point that he couldn’t even reach orgasm without looking over at Sam and raking his eyes over his high priest’s hard body. He noticed the carefully blank look on Sam’s face when he locked eyes with him every time he came in someone else, but he wasn’t sure what it meant. Finally, he decided to bite the bullet and just ask. Even if it did risk bringing up a deep discussion. “How do you feel about me sleeping with the other priests and priestesses?” 

Sam closed his eyes and looked away, but not before Loki noticed the pain swirling in them. “Let’s not do this, Loki,” he asked tightly. 

“I need to know,” Loki coaxed. 

Sam took a few deep breaths as he tried to plan what to say. “You are a god, Loki. It’s part of the package and I know that, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t tear me up inside every time you do. I know I don’t say it often, mostly because I don’t know how you’ll take it, but I love you, Loki, and watching you with someone else…” Sam trailed off not even sure he could put it into words without sounding overly harsh. Only the fact that he got so much more of Loki than they did gave him the strength to deal with it. They didn’t get evenings with him, watching movies and laughing. They didn’t get kisses, and long conversations. They didn’t get cuddle time. They only had his body. Sam had everything else, and he could live with that. It didn’t make it easy though. 

Loki gave a heavy sigh as he realized exactly what he’d been doing to Sam. He remembered what Sam had said about love meaning learning to trust someone not to hurt you and he knew in that moment that he was failing. He wasn’t worthy of that trust. He swore that he would be from now on though. “Then that’s over with,” he said finally, after a long pause. 

“What do you mean?” Sam asked turning to look at him. 

“I mean, that from now on I sleep with you and you alone,” Loki said seriously. 

“I’m not asking you to…”

Loki put a finger over Sam’s lips to shush him before saying, “I will never hurt you again, Sam.” He moved his finger and kissed him soft and deep. 

Sam had his doubts about how Loki could possibly keep that promise. “What about when you need new priests and priestesses?” he asked as they pulled apart. 

“I will give them leave to marry. The bonds can be passed to their children with a bit of effort on my part. Effort that does not involve sex. I will have plenty of priests that way,” Loki told him seriously. It wasn’t like he got anything more than power from them anyway. The enjoyment that was lacking before would surely be non-existent now that he knew how much it hurt Sam, and he could get more power from Sam than he ever could from them. 

“Then…you really mean it?” Sam asked feeling the tears welling up in his eyes. 

“Absolutely,” Loki said with a nod and Sam pulled him into another kiss that soon ended up in the bedroom. There were a lot of small details to work out with that plan, but he would make it work. He had to. Failure was not an option. 

As they laid in bed later, wrapped in each other’s arms, Sam realized that they had just had the deepest relationship conversation they’d ever had to date. It hadn’t exactly been a declaration of love, but it might as well have been. They were making progress. They were getting there. And Sam was thrilled. 

A few days later, Sam pulled out his computer to watch some Netflix only to see an email notification and he rolled his eyes. On an unnamed island in the arctic cut off from human civilization and he still gets spam. He opened the email to delete it only to freeze when he saw the email address. He took a few deep breaths to steady himself before he opened it. ‘I might have over-reacted a bit. I say might because I don’t know what was going on and it may have been the appropriate reaction, but I guess the whole point is that I don’t know what was going on. I should have given you a chance to explain. -Dean’

Sam didn’t even notice that it had sent a read receipt for a few minutes and when he did, he figured that Dean just wanted to make sure that he’d gotten it. Why would he send him an email though? Why not just…crap! Sam rushed for his room to grab his phone and turn it on. He’d stopped checking it about a month ago, not seeing much point to it. Once it started up he noticed eight new voicemails and went to listen to them. They all said much the same thing as the email. Sam leaned his head against the wall. What could he do now? He couldn’t leave here. Leave these people. Leave this place. Would Dean ever accept that though? Would he ever accept him? Could he live with himself if he didn’t at least try?

That last question was the kicker and he knew the answer to that immediately. No. He couldn’t. He had to try. The last time he saw Dean, his brother had tried to kill him. If he could possibly get a better break than that, he had to take the chance. He went back to his computer and sent a return email. ‘If you’re willing to let me explain now, I will, but it needs to be in person. Not over the phone or email. By the way, sorry I missed your messages. I stopped checking my phone weeks ago. -Sam’

It was only a few minutes later that he got another reply. It just said, ‘Where are you?’ Sam took that to mean that Dean wanted to talk so he prayed for Loki who appeared almost right away. “Dean emailed me,” Sam told him. 

“What did he want?” Loki asked warily. 

“To talk,” Sam told him. 

“So, what do you need from me?” Loki asked trying to keep the tightness from his voice but not completely succeeding as evidenced by the look on Sam’s face. 

Sam got up and walked over to him, putting his hands on the god’s shoulders before giving him a short sweet kiss. “First, I need you to know that this doesn’t change anything with us,” Sam said seriously. “No matter what he has to say, I’m with you and I will stay with you.” He waited until he could see the fear fade from Loki’s eyes and the god nodded. “And I was wondering if you could bring him here so we could talk. And maybe snap up some appropriate clothes in case he wants to go out and have a look around.”

“I can do that,” Loki told him. “Now?” 

“Please?” 

Loki snapped his fingers and then he was gone and Dean was standing in his place as he blinked and tried to acclimate to the sudden change in location. “Hi Dean,” Sam said nervously. 

“Sammy!” Dean said pulling him into a tight hug, unable to resist after their long separation, even if things were going to go south later. “What the hell are you wearing?” he asked with a laugh. Sam looked down and shrugged with his own chuckle. He had long stopped thinking of his robes as strange, so he hadn’t even thought of it. “And where are we?” Dean added looking around at the lavish, yet old fashioned room. “And how did I get here?” 

“Have a seat,” Sam offered gesturing to the couch. “Do you want anything? Food? Drink?” Sam’s nerves were palpable in the room. 

“I’ll take a beer if you have one,” Dean said sitting on the couch trying not to let Sam’s nerves rub off on him. He hadn’t seen his brother in months and he was going to make every effort to resolve this, whatever it was. Bobby had pointed out, rather forcefully, that he couldn’t do that if he went on the offensive. He would be polite and hear Sam out, and THEN lose his shit.


	20. Chapter 20

“No beer, but I do have a nice meade,” Sam offered and at the uncertain look on Dean’s face, he added, “You’ll like it,” and brought him a cup, bringing his own as well, taking a long sip. He would definitely need alcohol for this. “Okay so I guess I’ll start from when I was kidnapped by the demons?” Sam suggested and at Dean’s nod, he started to explain. “So, the demons took me to that ghost town and when I woke up I found more of the psychics. We were apparently supposed to be in a fight to the death, last man standing and all that. After the second person died and the yellow-eyed demon came to visit me in my dreams and tell me that I was supposed to win, I called Loki for help.”

“Why would you even think to do that? We killed him…or we thought we did,” Dean interjected.

“Right. I guess I skipped a part,” Sam said with a blush. “I didn’t actually help you ‘kill’ him. That was a Loki-created clone, as was the one you killed. He whisked us away for some full moon ritual, and no I didn’t go willingly. I didn’t even realize it had happened until the next morning. The next month when he came back, I was all set to send him away until he told me that if it wasn’t me then it would be some other random person he snatched off the street, so I agreed to go, and it just kinda snowballed from there.”

“What did he do to you during this ritual?” Dean asked worriedly. 

Sam blushed brightly. “He…um…we…well…had sex,” Sam said embarrassedly and then scrambled to change the subject, “But anyway, in the ghost town, I knew I was in over my head. Loki came and killed a prince of hell, and if he hadn’t claimed me as his priest then it would have meant war between hell and the pagans, so he did, and once he did, I couldn’t say anything to counter that or it would break the pact.”

“Okay, but why wouldn’t you? I mean, I get that you were grateful that he saved your life and all, but that’s no reason to tie yourself to a monster, Sam,” Dean said as calmly as he could manage. 

Sam wasn’t going to address the monster comment right now. That would only start an argument and they wouldn’t get anywhere. “A few reasons. First, if I had, then the demons would have attacked the pagans…”

“Good riddance. Let them kill each other off,” Dean snapped, starting to lose his calm demeanor. 

“And what do you think a war between demons and gods would do to this planet and the people on it?” Sam snapped back, before stopping and taking a deep breath for calm before continuing. “Besides, there was also the fact that as long as I was Loki’s priest, the demons couldn’t use me to start the apocalypse, and since I’m apparently the key, that means no apocalypse.”

“You don’t think we could have found a way to stop it?” Dean asked hurt that his brother had so little faith in them. 

“Maybe we could have found a way to stop the demons, and that is a big maybe, but they aren’t the only ones looking to use me to kick off judgement day. Even if we could fight all of hell, we can’t fight all of heaven too. Not alone. Now, I have all of the pagan armies in the world ready to fight to protect me.”

“Heaven, Sammy? Really?” Dean scoffed. 

“Yes, Dean. Heaven. The queen of hell showed up after the prince was killed and she spilled the beans on that one and Loki confirmed it. They are both working towards the apocalypse and I’m apparently in the hot seat. This takes me off the board,” Sam told him. 

“So, all the pagan armies are willing to go to war over one priest?” Dean asked skeptically. 

“No. Not over me exactly. More like over their way of life. If heaven and hell can come in and snatch up their priests and priestesses whenever they feel like it, it’s bad for everyone. There are treaties, and if heaven or hell come after me, those treaties are broken. Technically, Loki could have called for war over what happened in the ghost town, but since he didn’t want them to know that he hadn’t claimed me as his priest before that, he let it go, and when he stood up to the queen of hell, she said that she wouldn’t break the treaties, but heaven would stop at nothing.”

“So, instead of a war between demons and pagans, we’re looking at a war between heaven and pagans. How is that any better?” 

“Loki doesn’t think it will come to that. The pagans are working with the dwarves, elves, Valkyrie, harpies, fey, giants, and bunch of other things I can’t remember to create an army that even heaven will back down from,” Sam told him. 

“And even if they don’t, we gods are much more tied to this world than heaven is. We will do what we can to protect as much as possible,” Loki said as he appeared. 

“What, like killing people is protecting them?” Dean snapped at the god who plopped down in the chair and put his feet up on the table. 

“Killing who? You mean the professor who raped nearly a hundred of his students, both under and over-age? Or the researcher who did more torture than actual research just because he literally got off on their screams?” Loki asked with a distasteful curl of his lip. 

“So, you’re qualified to play judge, jury, and executioner?” Dean snapped. 

“Actually…yes. I can see their souls. I can read their minds. I know every thought, every dirty deed, every crime they ever committed. If their souls are completely blackened, there is no more hope of redemption. There is no more hope of them changing their ways, so yes. I kill them before they can destroy anyone else.”

“The frat kid?” Sam asked curiously. 

“He still had a spark of light left. Not much of one, mind you, but something. There was a slim chance that he might take that lesson and learn something from it,” Loki told him. 

“Why not just let the courts take care of them,” Dean asked, not quite ready to give up on hating him yet. 

“Because some people are above the courts. They leave no evidence. Or they are good with bribes. Or they ride on undeserved reputation. These are people the courts can’t touch. So, I solve the problem,” Loki told him. 

Dean glared at him for a moment before deciding to drop it. Just because he didn’t like it didn’t mean that Loki was wrong, per se. He didn’t like it, but he could accept it. For Sam’s sake. “Okay fine. Back to my original question. Where are we?” 

“And that’s my cue to check out of this conversation,” Loki said, wanting to give Sam some time with his brother. He’d only popped in because Dean had been getting all worked up about the possibility of war. Sam reached out and grabbed Loki’s wrist before he could leave and turned his face up to him and Loki couldn’t hide the light in his eyes as he leaned down and kissed him. It was short and chaste given their company, but the fact that Sam would go there in front of his brother was a big reassurance for the god who still hadn’t been entirely certain that this wouldn’t change everything. 

Once he was gone, Dean turned to Sam. “And what the hell was that?” 

“Loki isn’t what you think, Dean,” Sam told him. “And where we are, is technically an unnamed island that Loki created just north of Iceland as a sanctuary and community for his followers to protect them from the crusades when the Christians were going around slaughtering them.”

“So, what? He just plucked a bunch of people out of their lives and stuck them on some deserted island?” Dean asked trying to wake Sam up. 

“The people who followed him, who worshipped him, were his job to protect. It wasn’t like they didn’t come willingly. He even housed them and fed them until they could get the community built. And then the war came here anyway and everyone was slaughtered. Loki was fighting his own battle at the time, and wasn’t able to get here in time. He thought everyone was dead, including all his priests and priestesses so he sealed off the island from any human methods of detection. He didn’t realize that there were survivors that hid deep enough into the forests and caves to escape the invaders and his own detection and those survivors managed to recreate a whole community that he didn’t even know about until I came here.”

“Why here?” Dean asked. “Why not just stay in the real world?” 

“I had nowhere to go, Dean. I had nothing. As Loki’s high priest, I was entitled to a suite of rooms in his temple and this was the only temple of his still standing.”

Dean winced at the reminder of the situation he’d left Sam in. “Okay. Yeah. I get that. Well you don’t have to stay here anymore. Let’s go home and hit the road again. You can go do your priestly duties or whatever when you need to if it keeps the apocalypse off our backs.”


	21. Chapter 21

“I can’t do that, Dean,” Sam said apologetically. 

“What do you mean, you can’t do that?” Dean asked heatedly. 

“I have something here, Dean. Something I can’t have out there on the road. I have a community. A life. Stability. I never wanted to hunt in the first place. It was just about getting revenge for Mom and Jess for me. You knew that. Yellow-eyes is dead now.”

“So what? That’s it? You’re just gonna throw me away again now that you got what you want?” Dean asked, hurt. 

“I have no intention of throwing you away again, Dean. That’s up to you. My phone and computer still work here. We can still talk. You can come visit whenever. I might even head out there for a visit every once in a while when I can get away. Hell, you can even move here. You decide whether this means a clean break or not.”

“You want me to give up my entire life and come live in the dark ages?” Dean asked incredulously. 

“What do you have out there that’s so great? No home, no friends other than Bobby, and it’s nice here.”

“What the hell would I even do here?” Dean asked. 

“You can still be a hunter. Just a different kind of hunter. There are plenty of large animals around here to hunt and you were always a lot better than me at archery. I’m not saying you have to live here. I’m just saying you could. How about you just stay for a visit for now? See what it’s like, and then if you don’t want to stay, you can go back to your life and we can keep in touch over the phone and visits.”

“Yeah, okay. I guess I can stay for a little while to visit,” Dean acquiesced. He wasn’t ready to let his brother go just yet and if this was the only way he could see him then he would take it. 

“Great! I had Loki snap you up some local clothes if you want to head into the village and we can grab lunch there,” Sam suggested, handing Dean some clothes. 

“You want me to wear this?” Dean asked holding them up as if they were radioactive and Sam just smirked. “Fine,” Dean sighed. “Where can I change?” 

Sam led Dean into his bedroom and Dean looked around with a whistle. He thought the main areas were grand, but this was a whole different league and, “Is that real gold?” he asked as he traced the carvings in the wardrobe. 

“Probably. I haven’t asked. This is the rooms of a high priest, though.”

“Living it up aren’t you,” Dean laughed, and Sam just shook his head and left him to change. Dean came out, still adjusting the sleeveless tunic. “Dude, how are these things so comfortable?” he asked, surprised. 

“All the clothes here are very soft. I’m not sure if it’s the material or the method they use to make them, but they’re great,” Sam told him. 

“So how come you’re wearing a robe instead of pants?” Dean asked curiously. 

“I’m a priest. We always wear robes,” Sam told him. 

“Oh. Nice.” Dean was feeling a little better about this excursion after how comfortable the clothes turned out to be. Maybe this wouldn’t be all bad after all. He still intended to find something to convince Sam to leave though, but he at least hoped to get a little more insight into why he didn’t want to. 

They stepped out into the worship area on their way out and Dean goggled at the place. “I told you this was a temple,” Sam said with a chuckle as he herded Dean towards the main doors. 

As they stepped outside, Dean said, “Dude that is one hell of a living room!” Sam laughed outright. The temple was made to hold about ten thousand people so it was rather impressive. “Hey, I just thought of something. The people here wouldn’t speak English would they?” 

“Technically, no, but Loki has an enchantment around the island allowing people to understand and speak different languages. Whatever language people speak in they will hear in their native language. Even when he created this place, there were a few different languages spoken among his followers so he wanted to make it easier for them to communicate with each other after being thrown together,” Sam relayed what Loki had told him when he questioned him on the matter. 

“Oh. That’s convenient,” Dean said relaxing now that he knew he would be able to talk to people. 

The first person he ran into, as usual, given the fact that she lived near to the village entrance from the temple, was Runa. “Good afternoon, Priest Sam,” she said cheerfully with a slight bow. Over time he had been able to talk people down to a small bow instead of a big one. 

“Good afternoon, Runa. How are Hagan and Alva?” Sam asked. 

“They are well. Hagan is eager to start his lessons next month, and Alva took her first steps this week,” Runa told him proudly. 

“That’s wonderful!” Sam said excitedly. “Tell them I said hello, will you?” She nodded, and Sam turned to Dean, “Dean this is Runa, Runa this is my brother Dean. He’s here for a little visit.”

“Welcome, brother Dean. Any family of Priest Sam is family to us all,” she said cheerfully. 

“Th-thank you, Runa,” Dean said taken a little off guard by the warm welcome. 

“I will leave you boys to explore. Have a good day, Priest Sam, brother Dean,” she said going on her way. 

“That was…interesting,” Dean said. 

“Runa was the first person who helped me when I got here and was so completely lost,” Sam told him. “I have dinner with her and her family from time to time.”

As they walked through the village, Sam showing Dean all the different sights, Sam stopped and had short conversations with quite a few people, usually asking about their children or grandchildren. Even the people he didn’t stop to talk to, greeted them warmly. “Do you know everyone here?” Dean asked incredulously. 

“No. Not everyone. I’ve only been here a few months and there are about two thousand people in the village. As far as the marketplace goes, I do know most of the vendors and a some of the regular customers. 

About that time a middle aged man came up to Sam. “Pardon my interruption, priest Sam. I wondered if your guest will be staying a while and if you will need extra supplies in the next load?” 

“Oh, it’s quite all right, Tue. I’m not sure how long he will be visiting, but if you could bring some extra supplies just in case and if I have extra I’ll let you know to short the next load.” The man nodded. “Where is Uffe today?” he asked, not seeing the boy around anywhere. 

“He is ill, priest Sam,” Tue told him. 

“Is it serious?” Sam asked concerned. 

“Nothing to worry our god over. Just a bit of the sniffles. I thought it best that he stay in bed since I have a light day today.”

“I’m glad that it’s nothing serious, but if it gets worse, you just let me know,” Sam offered. He knew how quickly a slight cold could take a bad turn out here. 

“Thank you, Priest Sam,” Tue told him with a bow as he walked off to continue filling his orders. 

“So, you get your stuff delivered?” Dean asked curiously. 

“Yeah, it’s kind of a long walk back and forth with supplies, even if I could carry enough with me to last more than a day.”

“So, being a priest pays pretty well then?” 

Sam couldn’t help but laugh. “I don’t get paid,” he told Dean. “I take care of them spiritually, and they take care of my material needs,” Sam told him. “In fact, there is no currency here. People trade for what they need with either goods or services.” 

“What if they have nothing to trade?” Dean asked. 

“There is always something to trade,” Sam told him. “The only exception is the younger children who are taken care of regardless. For example, that boy over there,” Sam pointed to the teenager helping at the tavern, “he lost his parents in an accident last year and he helps out at the tavern for room and board until or unless he decides to pick up a trade.”

“He’s just a kid. And they make him work for his supper?” Dean asked distastefully. 

“Not here, he’s not. Remember these people come from a time long in the past. Once a child hits puberty they are considered an ‘adult in training’ more or less. That’s when they begin learning a trade or take another position like in the tavern. Rue doesn’t actually need the help, but it teaches Bryn the business and since Rue doesn’t have a family, he intends for Bryn to take over for him one day,” Sam explained. 

Dean nodded as he tried to wrap his head around how different this all was than anything he was used to. He honestly couldn’t decide if it was good or bad as he followed Sam into the tavern. “Good evening Bryn,” Sam greeted the boy who came to help them. 

“Good evening Priest Sam, brother Dean,” Bryn said cheerfully. Word had spread quickly about who Dean was, and the hunter wasn’t sure how he felt about being called ‘brother’ by everyone, but he let it go. “Are you here for the spirits or for supper?” he asked. 

“How about a little of both. Let’s just start with some ale with our supper,” Sam suggested. 

“Yes, sir. I’ll be back with it momentarily,” Bryn said heading out to do just that. He was back with the ale a moment later and told them that their food would be out in a few minutes.

“Thank you, Bryn,” Sam said.

When their food arrived, Dean took a tentative bite of the stew before his eyes widened and he took a huge bite. “Thish ish amazhing,” Dean mumbled around his mouthful. 

Sam laughed and turned to Bryn who was waiting to be dismissed, “Tell Rue that the food is excellent,” he said before turning to eat himself as Bryn walked away. 

“I’ve noticed that the food here tastes better than anything we’re used to, mostly because it’s all fresh. Nothing is processed or has chemical additives. The bread is baked fresh every day, the vegetables come straight out of the ground, the fruits right off the tree. It really preserves the flavor.” 

“I’ll say,” Dean said around another mouthful and Sam just rolled his eyes at his brother’s manners or lack thereof.


	22. Chapter 22

They got back to the temple just before the sun started to set, and Sam offered Dean either the couch or a bed in the priest’s dormitory, and Dean predictably chose the couch. Sam poured another glass of meade for each of them and stoked the fire before he sat down and waited for Dean to start the conversation he had been dying to all day. “So, you and Loki are like…together?” Dean asked. “Is that even allowed?”

“Yes, we are and yes, it is,” Sam told him before Loki could get snarky. “It’s not a regular thing, but I’m told it’s not uncommon for gods and their high priests or high priestesses to be together.”

“Is it…you know…serious?” Dean asked, knowing that if it was then he had little to no chance of intervening. Once Sam latched onto someone or something he didn’t let go. 

“Yes, Dean. It’s very serious,” Sam told him. 

“Why? How?” Dean asked confusedly. What could possibly make Sam fall in love with a monster?

“Like I said before. He’s not what you think. Heck, gods altogether aren’t what you think. I’m not saying that they don’t have their faults. They do, like anyone else. They are very different from us, but not evil. I mean, think about it. There are hundreds of thousands of them. Thousands just in the ruling class. They have entire armies. They could roll over the world in a second if they really wanted to, and yet we’ve only heard of a few and judge them all based on those few?” 

“What about all the lore about blood and sex and all that? You’re saying all that is wrong?” Dean asked. 

“Not wrong, so much as exaggerated. They get their power from the worship of their people. They can’t exactly go around killing people and then expect them to worship. They take care of their people and their people take care of them. They also get power boosts from blood and sex, usually taken from their priests, but willingly and not enough to kill. The people, during the services, will cut their palms and bleed on the altar, but that’s it as far as the blood goes.”

 

“And Loki’s comment about snatching someone off the street for sex on the full moon if you didn’t go with him?” Dean asked pointedly. 

“Despite how he worded it, he didn’t intend to just kidnap some unsuspecting person. He did what anyone does who wants to get laid, hit a bar to pick someone up. Granted due to the specifics of the ceremony, they usually chalked it up to a dream after, but they were always willing at least.”

“But you weren’t,” Dean said firmly. “And what kind of ‘specifics of the ceremony’?” 

“I wasn’t entirely unwilling. You remember how I was flirting pretty heavily with him back then before we knew he was the trickster. Only the fact that I know about the stuff that’s really out there gave me the clue that it wasn’t a dream. That and the fact that Loki left me a few clues. See during the ceremony, there is this incense that burns. It’s got a lot of stuff in it, but it makes you feel kinda drunk. Combined with the suddenly being somewhere else and an entire night of amazing sex before waking up in your bed the next morning, you can see why most people think it was just a dream.”

“But you still weren’t entirely willing either. And it sounds like he drugged you to me,” Dean tried to point out, looking for a chink in the armor. 

“Look, I never said he was perfect. He skirts boundaries and even crosses lines sometimes, but at the time he didn’t have a whole lot of choices. We were on his tail limiting his ability to find someone else for that full moon, and he did take me who was already interested in him instead of someone who wasn’t. As far as being drugged, well, yeah kinda, but the incense is rather necessary to the process. Imagine trying to have sex for twelve straight hours and how tired and sore you would get…”

“Dude I do NOT need to know that much about your sex life,” Dean cut him off. 

“Hey, you’re the one who started this conversation,” Sam said with a shrug. “I’m just explaining how the incense helps. It has a painkiller and an energizer in it to let the god get the maximum power during the peak of the full moon.”

“Yeah okay fine. Let’s just change the subject now. I’m guessing you’re not just with him for the sex.”

“No. I’m not. Back when I was first attracted to him at the college it was his happy nature and zeal for life that drew me in, but he’s so much more than that too. He’s…complicated,” Sam said as he tried to think of how to explain Loki without baring more than the god would want him to. “I think the moment I really fell for him was when he was telling me about this island and how it came to be. I could see the pain in his eyes as he talked about the slaughter. The worry for his people when he moved them here. The fact that he so obviously cared even as he tried to keep an emotional distance. Then there’s the fact that he fought for me. He took on hell, and is willing to take on heaven to keep me safe. He went before all the gods of Asgard to fight for my inclusion and get them to fight for me. He’s given me this place and these people. He’s helped me to find myself. To find peace, not just in my life, but peace with who I am. How could I not love him?” 

“And you really are happy? Here and with him?” Dean asked sadly as he realized that he had lost the battle. 

“I am, Dean. I’m very happy,” Sam told him. 

“Then, okay. I’ll accept it,” Dean said defeated. 

“Thank you,” Sam said gratefully. “So, what do you say I call Loki down and we can all hang out,” he suggested. 

“Yeah, alright. I might as well get to know the guy,” Dean said petulantly. 

Sam rolled his eyes at his brother with a grin as he sent a quick prayer to Loki and held his arm out to him when he arrived. Loki looked warily at Dean before he accepted Sam’s offer and sank to his side. It was rather outside his comfort zone to allow anyone else to see him showing and accepting affection, but if Dean was going to be back in Sam’s life he would have to get used to it. 

It wasn’t long though before Dean was yawning. He’d had a very long day, done a lot of walking and the dinner they’d had was sitting heavily on his stomach. Sam and Loki made for Sam’s bedroom, leaving Dean to go to sleep on the couch. 

Once they were in the privacy of Sam’s room, Loki pulled Sam into a searing kiss, opening his robe and pushing it off his shoulders while Sam’s hands went to open Loki’s tunic. He still couldn’t manage to until Loki’s pants, so he always left that part for the god. After a few minutes of roaming lips and hands, Loki pressed Sam back onto the bed, trying not to betray his nerves. He was going to try something new tonight. Something he’d never done before and he was more than a little nervous. He moved his lips down over Sam’s neck to his collarbones and chest. So far nothing new, but then he kept going lower and Sam couldn’t help but moan at the thought of what was coming. Or what he hoped was coming anyway. 

He felt Loki’s hand wrap around his erection as the god lifted his head from Sam’s stomach and looked at it for a moment, at the little bead of precum forming at the tip, before he lowered his head and gave a short lick, just getting a taste for it and Sam’s breath hitched even as Loki was lowering his head again to give a longer lick all the way around the head and Sam moaned. “Oh god, yes, Loki. More. Please,” Sam gasped out. Loki lowered his lips and wrapped them around the throbbing head giving a little suck and Sam’s hand tangled in his hair. 

Loki wasn’t sure what he had expected this to be like, but it was better than he thought it would be. The way Sam was falling to pieces under his ministrations was divine and he found his priest’s lust driving his own even higher. He slid his other hand down and pressed a finger into Sam’s tight hole as he lowered his head and took as much of his cock as he could in his mouth and Sam let out a choked moan and Loki decided that he would let Sam cum before he was inside him this time and set to work, using Sam’s usual job on him as a base to go off of as he hollowed his cheeks and sucked, bobbing his head and working his hand underneath even as he crooked his finger to hit Sam’s prostate and Sam was nearly incoherent with need. It didn’t take long before Loki felt the spurts of the warm salty liquid hitting his tongue and he swallowed greedily as he inserted a second finger into Sam’s ass. 

Once he had milked Sam for all he had, he started sliding his lips back up Sam’s stomach as the priest gasped, “Fuck Loki. That was amazing.” Loki couldn’t help but smirk at that even as he reached Sam’s lips and kissed him deeply again as his now free hand moved to untie his pants before he kicked them off, while sliding a third finger into Sam. Loki now knew how Sam felt after sucking him off as he felt like he was about to blow any second and quickly finished prepping his priest before sliding his thick cock into him. It was only a few thrusts before Loki was filling Sam with his seed and he felt some of the urgency fade and started moving slower, waiting for Sam to catch up again. The next time they came it was together, and Loki curled up to Sam’s side afterwards in what was becoming a rather familiar position that Loki was almost comfortable with by now. His fear had receded enough to just be a constant nagging presence in the back of his mind. He still thought that Sam would eventually turn on him someday, but he found peace in the fact that it was too late to turn back anyway. He could enjoy this while he had it.


	23. Chapter 23

Sam and Dean fell into a bit of a routine over the next few days. They would have breakfast in the apartment before heading into the village for the morning and having lunch there. They would return to the temple and spent the afternoons and evenings just hanging out, usually with Loki, but sometimes not. When Saturday rolled around, Sam told Dean, “I’m gonna be in the temple all day today. You’re welcome to hang around and mingle if you want or watch some Netflix or something in here.”

“All day? You hold church for the whole day?” Dean asked incredulously. 

“I open the doors after breakfast and don’t close them until sundown,” Sam told him. “Saturday is the day that I take prayers to pass on to Loki.”

“Wow. Well I might walk down to the village or something if I get bored,” Dean told him. 

“I wouldn’t bother. The village will be deserted. Everyone will be here, or if they don’t stay all day, they will be at home taking their day of rest.”

“Oh. Right. Well I’ll figure something out. It won’t be a big deal if I hang around for the church stuff, will it? You know, since I don’t worship Loki and all.”

“As long as you don’t go around insulting him, it’ll be fine. You might get a few funny looks, but no one will take issue with it,” Sam assured him. 

“Then I might hang around for part of the day,” Dean said just as Sam finished his breakfast and the priest nodded as he went to open the doors, letting in the small gaggle of people that were already waiting. Around mid-day, Dean headed back to the rooms to have some lunch and call Bobby to check in before he headed outside and took a walk through the woods partially from boredom and partially to see what it was like out there. He got back not long after the sun had started to set, and it was good timing too. Much later and he wouldn’t have been able to see his way back. 

It was a few days later before Sam and Dean were pulled from their breakfast by the sound of the door bells. Someone was ringing it frantically and pounding on the door at the same time. Sam ran for the door, realizing it must be some kind of emergency. He opened the door to see a kid standing there who couldn’t have been more than four and the kid panted out, “Priest Sam…help…Mom…baby…she’s bleeding lots…”

Sam looked out and saw the cart that the boy had brought. “Dean go get Brenna and bring her in here and put her on the altar while I call Loki,” Sam ordered as he ushered the boy in and told him to sit down and catch his breath before he went to his knees and sent up an urgent prayer. Loki arrived around the time Dean was carrying Brenna over to the altar and the kid was right. That was a lot of blood. Too much blood. 

Loki took one look and knew why he was here, “I got it,” he assured Sam before motioning him back. He placed a hand on her stomach as she cried out in pain from another contraction while the other hand nudged her legs apart and reached up to check on the baby. It was good that they called him because they were both on the verge of death. This was a tricky situation for his powers though. If he were to heal her it would either have to be slowly knitting together each part separately, which might be too slow, or a full burst of healing which would also heal her cervix and un-dialate it, killing the baby that was half out in the process. He would have to do it the slow way and hope he was fast enough. He should at least be able to save the baby. He might be able to save the mom too. 

“What’s wrong?” Sam asked worriedly, knowing that Loki just wouldn’t answer if he couldn’t handle the distraction. 

He could spare the attention though as he began knitting up the worst of the damage. “The placenta ruptured and also tore a hole in the uterine lining. She’s hemorrhaging, and the baby is drowning, and it’s not helped by the fact that he is backwards.” Loki told him only to realize that he probably could have put that more delicately with the mom listening in as she cried out in fear and distress as well as pain. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I’ll take care of everything,” he rushed to assure her. “You just need to stay as calm as you can to give me time to work, okay?” 

Hearing those words from her god worked to calm Brenna down, though she was still crying out as the contractions were coming closer and closer together and Loki cursed. How the hell was he supposed to heal the tear if it kept opening wider with every stupid contraction. He pulled his other hand from monitoring the baby and placed both of them on her protruding stomach. The baby would be fine for a minute and he had to get some sort of control over this tearing before he lost them both. 

Dean saw the boy coming closer, fighting back his tears and he cut him off before he could see more than he wanted to and led him around to the side near his mother’s head. “Why don’t we go talk to your mom okay?” he said gently as he steered him, staying between the boy and the sight of blood. “What’s your name?” Dean asked. 

“Birgr,” the boy said softly as he reached for his mother’s hand and Dean realized that no one was up for talking much at the moment, so he didn’t say anything else and just squeezed the kid’s shoulder reassuringly. 

Loki managed to get the tearing under control. It was still opening up more with each contraction but he could keep up now and he needed to get back to the baby so he moved his hand back down between her legs to find that they baby didn’t have long left. He was at least starting to crown though so that was something. “Okay sweetheart, when the next one hits I’m gonna need you to give a big push for me okay? Big as you can.” It would reopen the entire tear and he would risk losing her if he wasn’t fast enough, but if he didn’t get this baby out now he would definitely lose him. 

The next contraction hit a few seconds later and she let out a loud scream as she pushed as hard as she could and the head came free. Just as Loki suspected, it made her situation much worse though. He sent a slight jolt of healing through the hand that was cradling the babies head. He would have to do a more thorough job later, but as long as they were connected he was very limited as to how much he could do. That would keep him going for a little bit longer though. “Sam, come hold his head,” he said quickly and the priest jumped over to do as he was told, sensing there was no time to argue about how he didn’t know what he was doing. 

Both of Loki’s hands went to her stomach, not caring that he was smearing blood all over her. “Okay, don’t push for the next one,” he told her. “Be very careful not to push,” he said as he tried frantically to get control over the tear again. She couldn’t help but push a little bit as the pressure was just too much to bear, but Loki expected that, and he could tell she was holding back as much as she could. He knew that one more good push would do it, but at the moment it would kill her in the process and he had every intention of saving them both. He got the tearing back under control again and nudged Sam out of the way, taking his place. “Okay, now one more good push,” he coaxed and finally the baby was free and he quickly handed him off to Sam, who looked terrified to be holding him. “Cut the cord, Sam.”

“I…I don’t…” Sam stammered. 

“Now or we’re gonna lose them both,” Loki snapped, the stress of the situation getting to him. That push had completely ruptured her entire uterus and she was about five seconds from bleeding out if Loki couldn’t do a complete heal and he couldn’t do that until the baby wasn’t connected to her anymore. 

“Dean, give me your knife,” Sam said quickly and Dean was just as quick with rushing over with it. Sam found that he couldn’t hold the baby and cut the cord though so Dean screwed up his face in disgust as he took it and cut it himself. The second Loki felt the connection break, his hands glowed a bright blue over Brenna’s stomach before he rushed over to Sam and did the same to the baby before he took a deep breath of relief. He gently took the baby from Sam, snapping his fingers to wrap it in a blanket before taking him over to Brenna and handing him to her. He leaned down and picked up Birgr and sat him on the altar next to his mom’s head so he could see his little brother too. “You’re gonna take good care of your little brother right?” Loki asked with a smile. 

“Yes, my lord,” Birgr said, tears shining in his eyes as he tried to blink them away. 

“It’s okay to cry you know,” Loki whispered conspiratorily with a wink and Birgr gave a slight giggle as the waterworks opened and Loki’s clean hand rubbed his back for a moment before he turned to Brenna. “He’s beautiful. What will you name him?” 

“W-will you name him, my lord?” she asked hopefully. 

He smiled warmly at her. “How does Asmund sound?” he pulled off the top of his head. 

“It sounds perfect, my lord,” she said as tears ran down her own cheeks. 

“May I?” Loki asked reaching out for the baby. She nodded and handed him over. Loki took his blood-smeared hand and drew his sigil on the baby’s forehead before kissing him there as he whispered, “Langt líf og réttlæti,” watching the blood sink into his skin before handing him back. 

“Thank you, my lord,” she said crying even harder at the beautiful blessing he had bestowed on her son as well as the name he had given him meaning divine protector. 

He squeezed her hand with his clean one before he turned to Dean and asked, “Will you take them into the priestesses dormitory over there so they can rest?” Dean nodded and bent over to pick her up gently and Birgr followed behind carrying his little brother and Dean couldn’t help the lump forming in his own throat at the reminder of his earliest memory. His mother hadn’t survived, but theirs did. These kids would be much luckier than him and Sam ever were. 

“Where’s your father? Do you need me to go get him?” Dean asked the kid seeing that the mom had fallen asleep as he laid her down. 

“Dad’s on a hunting trip. He probably won’t be home for a few days.”

Dean closed his eyes as the emotion washed over him at those words. “O-okay kid. Well if you need anything just let one of these ladies know,” he said motioning to the two priestesses that were currently in residence, ducking out of the room before he lost the battle with his own tears.


	24. Chapter 24

As soon as Dean was out of the room with Brenna and the kids, Loki seemed to slump holding onto the altar for support as he licked the blood off his hand. Sam rushed to his side. “Are you okay?” Sam asked worriedly. 

“I’m good, Sam. Just a little weak,” he said just in time for Dean to duck back in and hear him. 

“Was it that difficult?” Sam asked sympathetically. 

“I couldn’t heal them fully as long as they were connected and trying to keep ahead of the damage on both of them at once was extremely draining. I almost lost them both more than once,” Loki admitted. 

“It’s okay, Loki. We’ll take care of it,” he said before turning to Dean. “If I were you I wouldn’t come out of the apartment today,” he told him and Dean blanched and then nodded rushing in there. He knew what Sam was implying. He remembered his brother saying that gods got their power from blood and sex and guessed that the altar was as big as it was for a reason. Needless to say, he had no intention of leaving these rooms until Sam came and got him. Once he was gone, Loki waved a hand and sealed all the doors as Sam stripped off his robe. “Light the incense Loki and take as much as you need,” Sam told him, fully expecting it to last all day and possibly into the night. 

Sam climbed up on the altar, knowing that Loki wouldn’t be up to standing any longer than he had to for a blow job and he was right since almost as soon as the incense appeared Loki was sliding into him, slowly still since the incense wasn’t working enough to completely dull the pain yet but thankfully it was working enough that Sam didn’t feel more than a slight burn at the unprepared entrance. “Let me bleed for you, Loki,” Sam said knowing by now that Loki needed to hear the words each time and not wanting him to have to ask this time. 

Loki immediately reached over and opened a cut on Sam’s chest and leaned down to suck greedily as Sam could feel his mind being overtaken by the incense and he got lost in the sensation. He stayed lucid enough to remember to keep smearing the blood over Loki though and he watched as the glow from the god’s eyes became brighter and brighter as they both spilled themselves over and over. Neither of them noticed when the sun set, or when it began to rise again, but finally Loki started to feel topped off again and spilled himself in Sam one more time before running his hand lightly over the bulge in the priest’s stomach from being so full of cum before he pulled out, sending a light burst of healing before kissing Sam deeply and then climbing off the altar. 

He vanished the incense and noticed Sam starting to come back to himself before he said, “I’m gonna go check on the family. Do you know their names?” Loki asked, realizing he probably should have asked before, but he had been a little preoccupied. 

“The mom is Brenna and the little boy is Birgr,” Sam told him. 

“Thank you, Sam,” Loki said sincerely. “For everything.”

Sam found the strength to sit up and leaned over to kiss Loki softly. “Always, Loki. Always,” he whispered before getting up and going to grab his robe, sliding it on before heading back into his suite, walking rather gingerly as Loki went over to the priestesses dormitory to check on the young family. 

When Dean saw Sam walk in, he choked on his lunch at the sight he made with his hair sticking up all over the place, blood smeared all over his face and hands and arms, and probably elsewhere that Dean couldn’t see and was trying to avoid thinking about, his robe rumpled and the way he was walking so delicately. Dean was suddenly getting mental pictures that he really didn’t want. “Dude, you’ve got some blood and stuff…um…everywhere,” he said hesitantly, pointedly not thinking about the dried white stuff glistening on Sam’s face and neck. 

“Right. Yeah. I’m gonna go take a shower,” Sam said dazedly as he waddled towards the bathroom. 

“Yeah. You do that,” Dean said not at all surprised at the way Sam was walking after twenty-four hours straight of sex. He was torn between being disgusted and impressed but he managed to put the whole thing out of his mind by the time Sam emerged from the bathroom, clean and well-groomed and plopped down at the table, eating enough for four. 

Once Sam was done eating, he said, “You wanna take a walk down to the village with me? Let them know that Brenna and the baby are okay.”

“How the hell are you up for walking? And shouldn’t you be passing out right about now?” Dean asked incredulously. 

“I’m a little sore, but it’s better to walk it off, and I’m not tired. I told you the incense is energizing,” Sam said with a shrug. 

“I thought that was only used at the full moons?” Dean asked curiously. Not wanting to talk about the sex part didn’t make him not curious about the rest. 

“It usually is, but Loki needed more power than he could get without it, so I told him to put it on,” Sam told him, carefully skirting around the taboo subject. Dean just nodded and said nothing else on the matter as he slid on his boots and they got ready to head out. 

“We should check on them first,” Dean said as they headed out of the apartment and Sam agreed so they headed into the priestess’ dormitory to find Loki sitting on the side of the bed playing with the baby and the little boy curled up to his other side while Brenna looked on with a happy grin. “How are you feeling?” Dean asked her. 

“Better than I have in a long time,” Brenna said happily before adding, “Thanks to our lord.”

“I’m just glad I was able to help,” Loki told her genuinely. 

“We were just about to head into town and let them know you’re okay. Do you need us to talk to anyone in particular or bring anything back for you?” Sam asked. He knew she was well enough to go home now, since Loki had completely healed her, but he would prefer if she stayed here until her husband returned and told her so when she offered to go home. 

“I-is that alright?” she asked Loki hopefully. 

“It’s more than alright,” he told her. “Did you know that these rooms were once used to house all of the people I brought here? I needed to give them someplace to stay until they could get the community and homes built. These rooms were always intended to be a sanctuary in times of need. You stay until your husband returns to take you home,” Loki said gently. 

“Alright,” she said with a blissful smile at the warm welcome from her god and turned to Sam. “If you could let Runa know, she will spread the word.” 

“I will. And I will stop by your house and grab some spare clothes for you and Birgr and some things for the baby if you’d like.”

“Yes, please,” she told him. 

Loki took a deep breath before standing. “I’ll come with you,” he said firmly, willing his voice not to shake. 

“Into the village?” Sam asked wide-eyed. He had been hoping that Loki would ‘walk among the people’ again one day, but hadn’t expected it so soon. 

“Yes. It’s time I reacquainted myself with my people,” he told Sam, begging him with his eyes not to make a big deal out of this. 

“Okay, then. Shall I escort you to the village, my lord,” he said with a bow, holding out his hand and Loki chuckled and played along, taking the offered hand as they headed out. 

Tue was the first to see them and he immediately jumped from his cart and fell to his knees reverently starting a chain reaction before no one in the village was on their feet. Sam could see Runa off to the side, crying genuine tears of joy at Loki’s presence. Loki resisted the urge to roll his eyes and enhanced his voice so that he wouldn’t have to yell to be heard by everyone. “Stand, please, and go about your days as normal.” They would never ignore a direct request from their god’s lips, so they did so, but it with a great deal more joy and excitement than they had before. 

Sam walked over to Runa, Dean and Loki following him, but Runa barely even noticed his approach as he eyes were glued on Loki. “Loki, this is Runa,” Sam told him. 

“It is a pleasure to meet you,” Loki said lifting her hand to his lips and pressing a kiss to the back of it. “I understand that you have taken good care of my people over the years. I thank you for that.”

“T-thank you, my lord. You honor me with your words,” she said tripping over her words. “I did not think I would live long enough to see you walk among us again,” she nearly sobbed and Loki pulled her into a soft hug which just made her cry harder before she managed to pull herself together and stepped out of his embrace. 

Sam could see that she was a little embarrassed about her little breakdown so he changed the subject and told her about Brenna and Asmund before they were on their way, heading to Brenna’s house, reverent whispers following in their wake.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tissue warning. You will need them. Be prepared.

A few days later, Dean decided it was time for him to head back. He asked Loki to drop him at Bobby’s since that’s where his car was and the god placed a hand on his shoulder and they appeared in the living room to find Bobby drowning in the bottle while he stared at the tv on mute. Bobby looked up as they appeared. “Glad you made it back in time to say goodbye, boy.”

“Goodbye? What do you mean goodbye?” Dean asked confused. 

“That jackhole president of ours lauched a nuke at North Korea. Within the hour every nuke in the world was in the air. We’re all about ten minutes from annihilation. Cheers!” Bobby raised his glass in a twisted approximation of a toast as Loki looked back and forth between them for a moment, seeing the absolute horror on Dean’s face. 

“What kind of damage can these…whatevers…do?” Loki asked. He had rarely paid attention to anything involving politics or war. His limited time among humans was mostly just spent picking on them. 

“This entire planet is about to be nothing but a charred piece of rubble,” Dean said almost inaudibly as he watched the television. There was a ticker at the bottom with the number of nukes in the air and the number detonated. 9,482 in the air. 4 already detonated. 

“The hell it is,” Loki growled, grabbing both hunters and reappearing in the worship room of his temple with them before raising his hands in the air. 

Between suddenly going from sitting to standing and the fact that he was three sheets into the wind, Bobby fell right to the ground and didn’t bother trying to get his feet under him again, knowing that it would be useless. Dean had no idea what to do, so he did what usually did when he had no idea what to do. “SAM!” he bellowed barreling into the room he had just left, causing Sam to drop his cup of ale and rush out after him to find Loki standing there, eyes glowing gold just as there was a loud booming sound and the island seemed to shake. 

“What…” Sam started to ask but then Loki fell to a knee under the strain and his eyes started to glow brighter he decided that now wasn’t the time for explanations. Dean and Bobby hissed and shielded their own eyes from the glow, but it was too little too late. The earthquake had brought the rest of the priests and priestesses barreling into the room and Sam said, “Blood! He needs blood. Now,” as he walked over to Loki, stripping the god’s shirt off and cutting his hand open, smearing his blood over Loki’s body and the rest of the priests and priestesses did the same. “Loki, your eyes,” Sam pointed out and Loki closed them quickly, so Sam turned to Dean and said, “Run down to the village and get as many people here as you can. Quickly.” Even as he said it, another explosion and earthquake rattled the island and Sam could see Loki start to falter. 

Dean stumbled out the door. He couldn’t see anything other than blurry shapes, but he had walked this path enough that he should be able to manage. At least he could see the shapes before he ran into them. He ran as fast as he could manage with his vision issues and when he could hear the noise of the village reach his ears, he began to yell as he ran. The fact that the villagers were panicking at the circumstances that they had never experienced before meant that he was almost on top of the village before anyone heard him and Runa rushed over to see what was wrong. “We need…help at the temple…as many as possible…fast,” Dean panted out. Runa immediately set to getting people moving. All the carts the town had were loaded with as many people as they could carry, starting with the elderly, the children, the sick, and anyone who couldn’t run fast. When Runa noticed Dean’s sightless eyes, she ushered him into a cart as well and the first group arrived at the temple less than fifteen minutes after Dean had left. 

Sam nearly sobbed with relief as he saw the people rushing into the temple. A few of the smaller priestesses were already getting woozy from blood loss and he waved them away and motioned a few of the villagers to take their place before he told the rest of the people, “We need blood on the altar. And prayers.” As the priestesses moved away, they could see Loki there on his knees, covered in blood, sweat pouring down his face that was screwed up in fortitude, and wasted no time rushing to the altar giving their lifeblood and their prayers to their god. People crowded around the altar, pressing each other in to get close enough to reach it and those that still couldn’t get close enough fell to their knees and prayed like they had never prayed before. 

All of the other priests had been replaced when Sam himself stumbled back, falling to his knees as his vision started to get fuzzy around the edges, and someone quickly took his place as he found his arm draped over another set of shoulders and he was led to the wall where he slid to sitting. Not long after he sat, one of the eldest of the village came over to him. “Priest Sam,” he said haltingly. 

“Yes, Hordr?” 

“I know that a living sacrifice is normally forbidden, but I would like to volunteer,” he said firmly. 

“No, that’s not an option,” Sam said quickly.

“If it is me or all of us, then it is no choice. You know I’m old. You know I’ve been sick. I don’t have long left anyway. Let my death be the means to help save us all. Please, priest Sam.”

Sam knew that Hordr was right. He also knew what Loki would say if he were any position to be asked. That didn’t mean that he wanted to be the one to make the call. It was his responsibility though. He was the only one who COULD make it at this moment. “Only if it becomes absolutely necessary,” Sam agreed reluctantly. The power gained from a willing human sacrifice was astronomical, but no god liked the idea of their most faithful dying, hence it being forbidden. This was a special circumstance though. 

“Thank you, my priest,” Hordr said with a low bow before sitting next to him and waiting for the moment he would be needed. Sam felt a cup being pressed into his hands and looked up to see Dean. When he looked around the room he realized what his brother and Bobby had been up to. Bobby was wandering around, feeling his way along the walls and getting cups of water to the people who were drained, and the numbers were rising by the minute. 

There was another loud explosion and another rattle of the island and Sam heard an actual cry of pain from Loki as one of the people near him had to reach out to steady him. Sam could see him faltering and closed his against the horror of what he was about to do. After a deep breath he turned to look at Hordr. “Go,” was all he could get out, and the old man, with a speed belying his age scampered over to the altar and climbed up on top of it. 

He raised his blade to his neck and Sam suddenly found dozens of sets of eyes on him and he knew they could all see the pain in his own eyes as he nodded that it was okay. “I worship you, Loki. With every breath of my life,’ Hordr said clearly before drawing the blade across the main artery on the side of his neck as his lifeblood spilled over the altar. Sam wanted to look over to Loki to see how he was doing, but he couldn’t bring himself to look away from the dying man. He would honor his sacrifice by watching him. Watching over him until he died. He obviously wasn’t the only one with the same idea because everyone close enough to have noticed what was going on was doing the same. 

Sam struggled to his feet, suddenly finding his arm placed around another shoulder, as he hobbled his way over to the altar and the people parted for him. Sam saw people on either side of Hordr, reach out and touch him. Hold his hands, place a hand on his arms or legs. Anything to tell him that he wasn’t alone. Sam placed his hand on Hordr’s head and looked into his eyes and said a quiet, “Thank you.” It seemed to Sam that the moment lasted forever before the light finally faded from Hordr’s eyes and he died with a smile on his face.


	26. Chapter 26

Sam moved his hand down and closed Hordr’s eyes before turning to look back at Loki who seemed to have regained most of his strength. He was still on his knees, but Sam suspected that was more a matter of the effort it would take to stand right now. His arms were still high in the air as he seemed to be holding back an invisible force. The part of Sam that worried about their people, wanted Loki to get to his feet. To give them hope. To give them confidence. The part of him that worried about Loki though wanted him to stay right where he was. To save as much of his strength as he could. It seemed that Loki had the same thought though because he was struggling to his feet and Sam could almost feel the atmosphere in the room lifting. People were still crowding the altar, doing what they could to help, but Hordr’s sacrifice had tipped the scales in their favor. 

Sam, despite his weakness, bent down to lift Hordr off the altar. Part of him wanted to leave him there, as a symbol of his sacrifice, but they needed the room and he wasn’t about to let anyone else care for him. Sam considered taking him into his own apartment but instead changed course to take him to the one across from his. The rooms set aside for the succeeding high priest. He should have his own. Somewhere that he wouldn’t need to be moved again until he was laid to rest. Sam crossed his arms over his chest and made his way back out to the main hall. All those who couldn’t give any more blood were on their knees deep in prayer, save those still trying to recover from the blood loss and Dean and Bobby were still trying to feel their way around the walls to get them water. Sam stepped up to the dais, facing out to the crowd and to Loki, and fell to his knees and began to give his own prayers that rang out over the crowd who began to repeat after him. 

“Hail Loki, shape-strong trickster. I honor you  
Hail Loki, wily sky-treader. I cherish you  
For those who offer you insult, I offer you praise  
For those who offer you mistrust, I offer you trust  
For those who offer you hate, I offer you love.   
For those who offer you harsh words, I offer you blessing  
For those who offer you ridicule, I offer you respect.   
For those who offer you faithlessness, I offer you adoration.  
For those who offer you scorn, I offer you devotion  
For those who offer you obstinacy, I offer you openness.  
For those who offer you indifference, I offer you fidelity  
May my heart be fervent and my will be strong in these offerings.   
Hail Loki, shape-strong trickster. I honor you.   
Hail Loki, wily sky-treader. I cherish you.”

No sooner than he finished that one, he started his favorite one.   
“I love you powerful, and I love you powerless  
I love you young as flame, and I love you decrepit as the dying ember  
I love you in your beauty, and I love you in your hideousness  
I love you in your greatness, and I love you in your meanness  
I love you kind, and I love you cruel  
I love you changing, and I love you changeless  
I love you sane, and I love you mad  
I love the force that drives you, and I will love you if you lose it  
Because I love you, show me how to love you.”

He continued to pray aloud. Reciting all the prayers he could remember from the top of his head which was quite a few. The synchronized prayers seemed to do more good than all of the separate ones, so Sam kept it up until he felt his throat getting raw. 

A couple hours later, Loki finally relaxed and waved the people by him away and took a few deep breaths before opening his eyes. They were still glowing, but dimly enough not to hurt anyone and he nodded gratefully at them all before turning and walking over to Sam, placing a hand on his shoulder. 

Sam felt the hand on his shoulder and his eyes snapped open and he looked up at Loki just in time to see the gold recceeding in his eyes to leave them the normal amber colored human eyes. “We’re okay?” Sam asked hopefully. 

“We are. Thank you, Sam,” he said softly before turning to face the crowd. “Thank you all,” he said clearly. 

Sam could see the question on everyone’s faces, and it was the same one he had so he decided to be the one to ask it before someone else fainted from nerves trying to. “What happened?” 

Loki addressed his response to the crowd. He would fill Sam in more later since he would actually be able to understand it. For now though… “A powerful force has destroyed the world outside of this island. I was able to protect this place and all of you, thanks to your help. There will be some changes due to this event, but the only one you need to know now, is that the sea is gone. The island is now surrounded by cliffs, so tread carefully. We will discuss the rest at a later time. Go home. Eat, rest, rejoice. And go with my thanks.” 

The people started to file out and Loki went over to where Dean and Bobby were leaning against the wall. “I’m sorry about your eyes. I will heal them when I’m stronger, but I’m afraid you’ll have to live with it for a day or two,” he said apologetically. “In the meantime, you’re both welcome to bunk in the priest’s dormitory since there’s only the one couch in Sam’s rooms.” When both hunters nodded Loki motioned two of the priests over to lead them to the rooms and get them settled. Once the temple was empty again, Loki’s legs gave out, and Sam caught him before he could hit the floor and laid him on the altar. 

“Don’t worry, Loki. I’ve got you,” Sam told him, not even sure if Loki could hear him right now, as he walked over to lock the main temple doors. The other priests and priestesses were used to walking in on them and Dean and Bobby were blind anyway and since Loki didn’t have the strength to seal the room it would have to be good enough. Sam stripped Loki’s pants off and rubbed him to hardness with one hand while the other worked himself open before he climbed up and straddled Loki’s lap, lowering himself on the god’s length while reciting his favorite prayer in lieu of his normal disjoined babbling worship. He could see the gold spread dully in Loki’s eyes, driving back the white and could almost see the strength returning to him. 

Sam knew he wouldn’t be able to give him much blood, but he felt like he had replenished enough to offer some. Enough to get him kickstarted enough to start taking the rest of what he needed. Sam took the blade that he had placed on the altar when he took off his robe and drew it over his arm placing a shallow cut before moving it to Loki’s lips. “I will always bleed for my god,” he said as he did, and started moving his hips back and forth. He wasn’t sure how Loki would feel about him being on top, even if he was technically still bottoming, so he didn’t lean forward. He stayed sitting straight up, riding Loki’s cock as the god seemed to come more and more into himself and his eyes began to glow again. 

Sam soon felt himself getting close and began to stroke himself as he raised and lowered himself at a rapid pace and he could see the flash of Loki’s eyes as he came over his hand. The next thing Sam knew, they were flipped over and Loki was driving into him, still completely lost in the haze and soon Sam could feel the pulsing within his hole as Loki came, still not slowing his pace though as he continued to pound hard and fast into his priest. Sam lifted his cum covered hand to Loki’s lips and the god licked and sucked greedily with an animalistic growl that went straight to Sam’s groin and he gave a breathless moan as his own cock started stirring to attention again. He wasn’t even fully hard again though before he felt Loki blow inside him again and he finally slowed down and his features softened. “Sam,” Loki breathed out, disoriented. 

“I’ve got you, Loki. Take whatever you need,” Sam told him reverently. “I am yours, always.”

Loki leaned down for a kiss as he continued to draw his hips slowly before waving a hand, sealing the room and bringing up the incense at the same time. It was mid-afternoon the next day before Loki finally pulled out of Sam and kissed him deeply before climbing off the altar. He wasn’t exactly topped off. The fact that he was so low to begin with and the lack of blood during the process meant that he would need more than Sam could give to bring himself back to full strength. Sam though, between the blood loss and the exertion, was nearly running on empty. “Are you good now?” Sam asked. 

“Good enough,” Loki told him. 

“If you need more, you can use someone else this time,” Sam offered, knowing he didn’t have the strength for any more but not wanting Loki to suffer. 

“No, Sam. I made you a promise and I intend to keep it. I’ll be fine for a while. Really,” he assured him. “You need to go take a shower, eat something, and then get some sleep,” he said in a tone that brooked no argument. Sam nodded weakly. “Before you do that though, can you take me to the one who sacrificed himself?”


	27. Chapter 27

Sam led him into the succeeding priest’s rooms, hoping that Loki wouldn’t have an issue with him using them for this. “A fitting place,” was all Loki said as Sam led him over to the bed. “What’s his name? Loki asked, knowing that Sam would know. 

“Hordr,” Sam told him. 

“Hordr, thank you,” Loki said softly. “You have your place among the honored dead, and I will ensure that you are forever honored by the living as well. Thank you,” he said bowing his head, knowing that his words alone could reach Hordr now. He looked up at Sam who had tears welling in his eyes and waved him away to go take care of himself. Sam just nodded and headed out sensing that Loki wanted some time alone. 

By the time Sam was coming out of the shower, Loki was coming in the door of Sam’s rooms looking much more put together and Sam felt free to ask. “Okay, so what really happened.”

He was putting together something to eat as Loki asked, “The humans blew up the planet. I can’t remember what they said the things were called that they did it with though.”

“Nuclear weapons? Nukes?” Sam asked with dread. 

“Yeah, that’s it,” Loki remembered. “Your brother and the old man seemed to think that was pretty bad.”

“Yeah. That’s very bad. Especially with as long as it lasted. Did anything survive out there? Do you know?” Sam asked as he half fell into his chair and began eating his sandwich despite the fact that it tasted like ash now. 

“I don’t know. The other high tier gods had islands like this. I kinda started a trend there. Whether they had enough notice to get there or enough power to fortify them, I don’t have a clue,” Loki told him. “I’m guessing an emergency summit will be called before long where we’ll find out though. 

“Could it have killed them too?” Sam asked worriedly. 

“Asgard is in a different dimension, as is Mt. Olympus, and all the other seats of power. They will be untouched and many of the gods don’t leave those places. From what I could tell of the power I was holding back, the explosions may have been enough to kill a god if they were caught out in it. It would definitely be enough to injure one.”

“Do you think anyone is out looking for any injured gods?” Sam didn’t even bother asking about people. No human could have survived that if it was as bad as Loki was implying. 

“If they were injured they would pray to their ruler who would send someone to retrieve them. It’s nothing for us to worry about,” Loki assured him, noticing the way that Sam was skirting around the subject of human casualties, but didn’t know what else to tell him. By that time Sam had finished his sandwich. “Go get some sleep Sam. There’s no telling when we’ll be summoned.”

Sam nodded and leaned over for a rather distracted kiss and Loki knew that Sam wouldn’t be getting any sleep on his own. “I’ll come put you out,” he said getting up to follow Sam to the bedroom and the fact that Sam didn’t even protest told him all he needed to know about his priest’s mental state. 

Once he had Sam sleeping, he headed out to find Dean and Bobby. He could heal their eyes now, even if it would drain him a little more, but he could spare it for the time being. He would manage until Sam was strong enough to give him more. It was only right that he fix what he broke now that he could. Once they were healed, he sat down to talk to them. “Okay, so what the hell happened out there?” he asked, but before either of them could speak, Loki grabbed his head. “Damnit. This conversation will have to wait. I’m being summoned.”

“How’s Sam?” Dean asked. 

“He’s fine. He’s sleeping at the moment, but now I’m going to have to wake him up. He’s gonna have to come with me.”

“When will he be back?” Bobby asked, clearly not caring about when Loki would be back, despite the fact that it would be the same time. 

“I don’t know. Should it come up would the two of you be willing to come answer some questions about what happened? That’s going to be the big question and I don’t know how to answer it.”

“If you need us, we’ll be there,” Dean told him, shaking his head at Bobby who was about to protest. He felt that it was a strange role reversal, him being more accepting and keeping Bobby calm. He had spent enough time here and with Loki to know that he was just trying to do the best he could with the situation that humanity’s stupidity had handed him. Most importantly, he remembered the conversation about how fond the gods were of the world and how they wanted to protect as much as they could. Given that Loki had so little warning and that only because he had been with him, he doubted they were very successful though. 

“Thank you,” Loki said heading out, and going back to wake Sam up with a sigh. “Sorry, Sam. It’s time to go,” he said apologetically when Sam creaked his eyes open to look at him. Sam groaned, but got up without further protest and threw his formal robes on before Loki flew them to the entrance hall. 

When Loki swayed on his feet after landing, Sam quickly steadied him and helped him to his seat around the table. He was glad to see that he wasn’t the only priest helping one of the gods to their seats. While it could mean that they were caught in it and injured, it could also mean that there were other surviving settlements out there. Odin sat at the head of the table and waved a hand causing extra chairs to appear behind each of the gods. “Given the circumstances, any priests who have need of a seat may take one,” he told them and Sam sank gratefully into his and he wasn’t the only one. If any of the other gods had been through what they had, their priests were probably just as drained. Though they probably had more than one priest to pull power from as well. “We will begin with a status report before we start discussing what happened,” he ordered and turned to his right for the first report. 

The first three gods around the table had been in Asgard when everything went down, as had twenty-two more of the total. There were eighteen, including Loki who managed to save their settlements, and the remaining four had been caught out in it. Three of their number had died. It wasn’t until the eighth god that Sam heard someone say that something had survived, and he breathed a sigh of relief. When the circle got around to Loki he began his story, basing the detail on what the others had given before him. “I had about three minutes of warning, and rushed to my island just in time to hold off the first wave of assault.”

“Are you well?” Odin interrupted for the first time, knowing that Loki had fewer followers than any of the rest and he couldn’t help but wonder how he had managed when the rest had so much trouble. 

“I am weak, but stable,” Loki said closing his eyes against the rush of pain at the thought of Hordr. 

Odin realized then how Loki could possibly have survived. “You took a living sacrifice?” he asked aghast. 

Sam jumped to his feet at that, not willing to let Loki take the blame. “If I may?” he asked hopefully, and when Odin waved at him to speak, he said, “It was my call, not Loki’s. He was falling and one of our people came to me and offered himself. He was old and sick, and didn’t have long left anyway. He asked that his death be used to save everyone else and I agreed, though reluctantly. If it hadn’t been for him, we all would have died. It was my call, not his,” he repeated to close. 

“I see,” Odin said thoughtfully as he considered how to handle the situation. “Given the circumstances, there will not be a punishment, but there will be a warning. Should a human sacrifice ever be called for by Loki or any of his priests in the future, the offending party will see the full weight of the law settle upon them. Is that understood?” he said firmly and Sam and Loki both nodded guiltily and Odin’s features softened. “Were there any other casualties among your people?” he asked Loki. 

“There were not. My high priest was able to have everyone gathered in the temple soon after the event began for worship and blood-letting,” he explained, hoping to send some respect Sam’s way after the debacle of the sacrifice. 

Odin raised an eyebrow at the implication that every single one of Loki’s people gathered for him. The others had all lost people, some due to the initial quakes before the god realized what had happened and some that attempted to stay home and ride it out there. Yet, Loki’s people, every single one of them, had braved the outside and rushed to his aid. Perhaps it was his long absence followed by his returned that made them less willing to risk letting him down. Or perhaps he just inspired that much loyalty. Or perhaps it was a combination of the two. He had every intention of sitting down with his blood brother at some point once this situation was behind them to find out.


	28. Chapter 28

While Sam and Loki were at the summit, Dean and Bobby were having a conversation. “How are you so accepting of all this? You must have heard the whispers same as I did. They did a full human sacrifice!”

“Yeah, I heard, and I also know that Sam was the one to make the call. Not Loki. And he wouldn’t have made that call lightly. In fact…hey you. Come here,” Dean called to the nearest priest. “What can you tell us about the man who sacrificed himself?”

“Hordr. He had been sick for a long time. He was the eldest of the village,” the priest told him. 

“And that makes it okay for him to be sacrificed?” Bobby asked heatedly. 

“He had to beg the high priest to be allowed. The high priest only agreed when it became a matter of him or all of us. It is never ‘okay’ for a life to be sacrificed, but it would have been worse to sacrifice thousands to save the life of one who was already dying,” the priest said defensively. He would have made the same choice that Sam had. Likely with just as much difficulty, but he would have done it, so he understood. 

“There you go,” Dean told Bobby. “I knew it had to be something like that. You don’t see the way Sam cares for these people. He would do anything for them. If he made that call, I knew he had a good reason.”

“So, you’re saying you would have done the same thing?” Bobby asked incredulously. 

“What, let an old dying man who volunteered and even begged for it die to save thousands? I would have hated every minute of, probably hated myself for it too, but yeah. I would have made the same call,” Dean admitted. 

Bobby sighed. When he put it like that he couldn’t help but agree. Maybe it was because he was old himself, but it was a lot harder for him to accept. He too wondered at the odd role reversal but chalked it up to the fact that Dean had spent more time among these people. He had gotten to know them and Loki. There was still the matter of… “All that blood. They even cut the children up,” he pointed out. 

“The children aren’t usually allowed to spill blood,” Dean told him. “I think you can agree that this was pretty much an all hands on deck situation. If it’s a choice between a little cut and death…I’d take a cut any day. Even if it was a kid. Trust me, Bobby. I don’t know if Loki knows yet, but when he does, he will care. A lot. You didn’t see him when that mom and baby came in here dying and he nearly killed himself to save them both. You didn’t see the way he looked at that baby like it was the most precious thing in the world. As soon as he knows, I would bet you money that he would run himself into the ground again healing the slightest cut on every single one of those kids.”

“This is just…” Bobby trailed off. He blamed his trouble on the buzz that was still fading, but wrapping his head around all this was really starting to get to him. 

Dean on the other hand, had just come off of over a week of peace and relaxation, and the high of reconnecting with his brother when all this went down. Not to mention, he wasn’t drunk. “Surreal,” he finished the old hunter’s sentence. “But remember Bobby. It wasn’t gods that destroyed the world. It wasn’t monsters or demons. It was people. Regular humans like you and me. I’m not faulting anyone for anything that saved even a little bit of that. Loki saved what he could. Sam did what he had to do to help him. I can live with that,” Dean said with a note of finality and Bobby nodded. 

Back in Asgard:

Once everyone had given their reports, Odin said, “Okay now that we know the state of our people, we can turn to figuring out what happened.” 

When all eyes turned to Loki, he held up his hands in a gesture of innocence. “It wasn’t me! It was the humans!” 

Odin couldn’t help a tense chuckle. “No one is accusing you, Loki, but you seem to be the only one who had any warning at all, short as it was,” he explained why they were looking to him for answers. 

“Right. Well,” Loki tried to rally himself to tell them what he knew. “Apparently, humans have these explosive devices called…Nukes?” he looked to Sam for confirmation and Sam nodded. “Nukes, and they make a really big bang and they used a whole lot of them,” he finished with a shrug. 

“Your priest seems to have more information. What can you tell us?” Odin directed the question to Sam. 

Sam stood and almost opened his mouth to answer but remembered at the last minute to look to Loki who gave him a proud smile. “You may answer any questions he has.”

“Well nuclear weapons, or nukes for short, are a little more than just a big bang,” he told them and then launched into an explanation of how they exploded the molecules in the air and the different types of nukes and how the radioactive elements were extracted and how they were built and the pure horror that grew with each passing moment on the gods faces told him they were understanding his explanations just fine. That was anyone’s reasonable reaction to what these things could do. 

“And humans have managed to create such destruction? And use them against each other?” Vali asked disgustedly. 

“Well apparently they were created by accident while trying to find a new energy source. Then everyone that had them swore never to use them, but they had to keep them to protect them from other people that had them and then the problem grew from there. They’ve been around for a long time, but only used once and then it was just one small one.”

“Then what made them use them this time?” Kvasir asked. 

“I don’t know. I’ve been rather cut off from the rest of the world for a few months,” Sam admitted. 

“There are two humans on my island that might have more information. I was with my high priest’s family when I found out what was happening and brought them with me. If you like I can bring them here?” Loki asked Odin. 

“Please,” Odin waved his hand permissively and Loki snapped his fingers and Dean and Bobby appeared looking rather disoriented. What followed was a quick q and a about the human political situation prior to the incident and what caused it. When he mentioned that there had been almost ten thousand bombs that went off all over the world, every god and priest around the table paled drastically.

“You mean to tell me, this human leader began the destruction of the entire world because another leader called him a ‘mentally deranged dotard’?” Thor asked incredulously. He may be known for his explosive temper, but even he would never have gone so far over a simple insult. He would never have gone so far no matter the circumstances. 

“There may have been more going on behind the scenes that I don’t know about, but that’s the way I understand it,” Bobby said with a shrug. 

“Perhaps it is better to start anew with our followers, if humanity had fallen so far,” Urd contributed. 

“There is no need to discuss what outcome would have been preferable,” Odin said quickly, heading off an argument before it could start. “We are presented with the situation as it is. The question is what do we do about it?” 

“We rebuild of course,” Verandi said as though it should be obvious. 

“Yes, but how?” Odin asked and the table erupted into what could only be called bedlam as everyone tried to talk over each other at once until he banged a fist on the table and called for quiet. “We will not let this disaster turn us into heathens!” he said coldly glaring around the table. “We will discuss the matter calmly or you will be ejected from your seats permanently.” Everyone around the table had the good grace to look abashed. Except for Loki who didn’t participate in the chaos for once, mostly because he was too tired, though he had enjoyed it greatly. “Loki. You were instrumental in us learning of the situation. What are your thoughts?” Odin asked, having noticed the trickster god not being the one causing trouble for once and wanting to reward him for it to hopefully secure good behavior in the future, not that he had very high hopes. 

“I think the first thing we need to do is check out the damage. If these things poison the air like my priest said, that will need to be fixed first. We will need to make the environment outside our communities safe first, then we can begin rebuilding the vegetation before we can even consider seeding new populations,” Loki said evenly.

“That seems a reasonable course of action. Anyone else have any thoughts? Calmly?” he warned. 

“I think we should just move our people to a new world and let them mix with other populations there,” Eir suggested. “They will find life easier than attempting to rebuild here.” 

“You want to abandon this world?” Frigg asked shocked. “There is so much potential to be realized here.”

“There is? All I see right now is a baren poisonous rock,” Eir responded. 

“A barren poisonous rock that has been more our home over the last few thousand years than any other,” Nanna interjected. “I agree with Frigg. Despite the current state of it, this world is perfectly positioned to sustain life and it would be a shame to abandon it. We will end up coming back eventually anyway and we all know it. We might as well begin the rebuilding with people who already have a stake in it rather than pulling people from their homeworlds to seed it later.”

After a few more rounds of discussion where it got heated more than once, Odin had enough. “We are all obviously exhausted and in shock. We will take a recess for now. We will reconvene next week. Take the time to sound out your people for their opinions, those of you who still have people at least, and we will discuss the matter further then,” he said as he dismissed everyone. 

Loki grabbed Sam, Bobby, and Dean and took them back to the temple, swaying unsteadily as he did. “Do you need…” Sam started to ask. 

“YOU need to sleep. Get some rest. We will worry about what I need later,” Loki said firmly. 

“But…” 

Loki raised an eyebrow at Sam who just sighed and nodded heading for his room. “You two should get some rest too. I know I intend to,” he told Bobby and Dean as a dismissal before he went and climbed into bed with Sam.


	29. Chapter 29

Over the course of the next week, Loki managed to get back up to full strength, though it took two marathon sessions with Sam, one of them over the full moon, to get him there. As Odin had requested, with the help of his priests, Loki sounded out his people on the issue. Predictably they all wished to stay where they were, even if it mean future generations being sent to seed new civilizations. Dean and Bobby as well, were very vocal about their opinions, and Loki thanked every deity there was that they had been too off balance while they were there during the summit to jump into the arguments in their unique manner of good points wrapped around insults.

Also over the course of that week, construction began on a home for Dean and Bobby to share, for the moment. They would build another one later should one of them marry. Now that it was obvious that they were permanent residents, they couldn’t keep staying at the temple forever. They had also hooked up with the ‘hunter’ trade. This time hunting game instead of monsters. It had been a long time since either of them used a bow and arrow, but it wasn’t like they could bring their guns out here and Loki had forbidden them from teaching the people here to make them, and not just because it would involve inventing the equipment to make them in the first place. Loki was adamant that development here would work on their own time and not be pushed forward by others. 

At the next summit, which Dean and Bobby were NOT there for, it was decided to go with Loki’s original plan. They would rebuild this world rather than abandon it. Tempers, thankfully were far less frayed this time around and things went much smoother, so when they returned they were both ready to relax. 

Sam pulled Loki into his room, missing the feel of sex in his bed after spending so much time on the altar topping Loki’s power off. Sam kissed Loki deeply before pulling back and biting his lip nervously. “What is it?” Loki asked curiously, seeing that Sam had something he wanted to talk about. 

“I was wondering…hoping…maybe we could try…” Sam trailed off, still not sure if it was okay to even ask. 

“Try what?” Loki prodded. 

“Maybe…try sex…the other way around?” Sam asked hopefully. 

“You mean…you wanna top?” Loki asked wide-eyed. 

“Yeah...I mean, I know it will never be an all the time thing and probably not even an often thing, but you know…every once in a while it might be nice…if that’s okay,” Sam babbled nervously. 

Loki closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he considered it. He’d never done that before. He’d never seen the point. The power gotten that way was negligible. This was Sam though. This was different. Could he really deny him anything he wanted? He would be lying if he said the thought didn’t scare him. Maybe even just as much as the emotional aspect. Just as much as loving Sam and losing him. He fought through that fear for Sam’s sake. Maybe he could fight through this one for him too. 

“Never mind. We don’t have to,” Sam said seeing Loki’s hesitation. 

“Yes,” Loki said quickly before he lost his nerve and then opened his eyes to look into Sam’s. “We can.”

“A-are you sure?” Sam asked hopefully. 

“No…but I want to try it,” Loki told him with a half-smile. He wanted to give Sam what he wanted. He wanted to give Sam everything. Everything of him. 

Sam considered how to react to that statement before he said, “You want me to stop, just say so, okay?” He knew that he would never be able to do anything Loki didn’t want to anyway, but he wanted to prevent any more forceful ways of stopping him or worse, Loki running away. Loki nodded so Sam pulled him into another kiss, slow and deep, running his hands soothingly over the god’s back and sides and waiting until Loki relaxed before he slid his shirt off his shoulders, which seemed to be the cue for Loki to divest him of his robe. 

Sam lifted Loki, wrapping his legs around his waist as his lips trailed over Loki’s neck and shoulder and he laid Loki down gently on the bed, leaning over top of him as his hands reverently caressed over the god’s chest and stomach and sides and even through his hair and over his face as he alternated between kissing him and sucking on his neck. He wasn’t going any farther until he got some sign that Loki was as into this as he was, but the god wasn’t even fully hard beneath him yet. 

Loki hadn’t realized that he had this kind of fear until Sam was over top of him and all he could think about was his brothers holding him down as they tortured him and he forced himself to breathe through it and opened his eyes and looked at Sam. He forced himself to feel Sam’s gentle hands gliding lovingly over his body. Sam’s lips kissing his skin. This was Sam. He could trust Sam. Sam wouldn’t hurt him. He slowly pushed the old memories to the back of his mind, and lifted his own hands to trail over Sam’s back and shoulders as he could finally feel his body starting to respond as Sam’s lips continued down over his collarbones and down further. Loki felt his priest’s tongue flick over his nipples and Loki couldn’t hold back a moan at the new sensation. That prompted Sam to keep going and he wrapped his lips around the bud and gave a hard suck followed by a nibble and that was it. Loki was ready to get this show on the road. 

The god reached down and started untying his pants, not wanting to wait while Sam fumbled with them, when he actually got that far. Sam’s hand that was splayed on his stomach moved up to tease his other nipple with his fingers and Sam waited until Loki was nearly incoherent with want before his lips continued moving down, leaving his hand where it was. He licked over Loki’s dripping cock as he used his other hand to nudge Loki’s knees open. Even through the lust, Loki felt the resurgence of nerves and almost stopped this, but soldiered on and opened his legs for Sam. Sam swallowed him down hard even as the first finger slid into him and Loki could feel his breathing speeding up for reasons that had nothing to do with lust as Sam’s finger moved within him looking for something. And then he found it, and Loki didn’t care anymore. He didn’t care about his nerves. He didn’t care about his fear. All he wanted was more. He knew if he let himself get off before the main event that he would never go through with this though, so he held himself back and when he felt himself starting to get close, he whispered, “Slow down, Sam. D-don’t want to…cum yet,” he gasped. 

Sam slowed down and in his lust hazed mind it took him a moment to figure out why Loki didn’t want to cum yet. In his defense, it wasn’t like the god couldn’t keep going indefinitely, but then he realized that Loki was worried that he would chicken out if he got his release too soon, and Sam was overcome with emotion, that Loki would do this for him. He briefly considered whether or not he should stop since Loki wasn’t entirely comfortable with it, but then decided that he wasn’t going to stop unless Loki said so. If it was just a case of nerves, then it could be worked through. If it was more, Loki would tell him to stop. 

Loki felt a second finger work its way into him as Sam sucked and licked over his cock and Loki forced himself to relax at the intrusion as he tangled his hand in Sam’s hair and tried to pay attention to what he was doing with his mouth and ignore the fingers stretching him open. It mostly worked. Until Sam inserted a third finger and then he felt the beginning of panic again until Sam hit the sweet spot and the need took over. It was only a few more minutes until he was empty again and he felt Sam lining up with his hole. He forced his eyes open to look into Sam’s as the priest asked, “Keep going?” Part of him wanted to say no. To stop this before it went any farther, but part of him wanted more. Wanted it all. The deciding factor was the pure love and desire shining in Sam’s eyes as he waited for an answer, biting his lip in his efforts to hold himself back. 

“Yes,” Loki breathed out and he arched his back as he felt the burn of Sam’s length breeching his barrier as the priest gave a choking moan. “Kiss me, Sam,” he said, needing something to get his mind off of what Sam was doing. Sam wasted no time following that order and he latched his lips onto Loki’s as he continued working his way in with short halting thrusts, going deeper and deeper as his tongue plundered the god’s mouth and Loki clutched at his back. 

Once Sam was fully seated he pulled out of the kiss long enough to look into Loki’s eyes and whisper, “I love you, Loki.” Just like that, the last of Loki’s resistance disappeared. Oh the nerves and fear were still there. But any thought of him stopping this was gone. 

“I-I love you, Sam,” he stammered and saw Sam’s eyes fill with tears before Sam kissed him again and Loki could almost feel the love and devotion pouring through him from Sam and he actually whimpered at the sensation. It was a long moment before Sam started to move, sliding in and out slowly and Loki anchored his legs around Sam’s back to pull him in deeper as Sam continued to pepper kisses over his lips, neck, shoulders, jaw, everything he could get to. 

The fact that Sam had never done this before was really affecting his staying power as he felt himself picking up the pace far sooner than he wanted to and he reached between them to stroke Loki in time with his fast thrusts. “Oh…god…Loki…I’m gonna cum,” he warned, just in case Loki wanted him to pull out first. 

Somehow, Loki knew what Sam was asking. Perhaps it was the bond between god and priest, but he breathed out, “Yes…Sam…cum in me.” That was all it took to push Sam over the edge and he came crying Loki’s name as he saw stars encroaching on his vision. His hand didn’t stop moving over Loki’s cock though and it wasn’t much longer before Loki spilled over his hand, and much like Loki always had, Sam licked it clean before pulling his softening cock out of the god and leaning down to clean Loki’s stomach with his tongue. 

Once he was done, he slid back up the god’s body and pressed a gentle, loving kiss to his lips. “I love you, Loki.” He hoped that he would hear it again. That Loki would say it…COULD say it…without the heat of the moment. 

“I-I l-love you, Sam,” Loki stammered, but the look in his eyes as he gazed into Sam’s took all the hesitation out of the words. “I love you,” he whispered again only to have his lips captured in another long kiss, even as Sam shifted to his side and pulled Loki tightly against him. When the kiss ended and Loki buried his face in the crook of his priest’s neck, he pretended that he didn’t feel the moist tears leaking into his hair. Just as he pretended that Sam’s neck wasn’t getting just as wet.

**Author's Note:**

> and it's finally done. Whew this has been one hell of a ride hasn't it?


End file.
